


Five Again

by Applepye



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, M/M, Other, T-Cest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-23
Updated: 2015-10-16
Packaged: 2018-04-23 01:22:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 32,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4857857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Applepye/pseuds/Applepye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Raphael wakes up as a five year old again and his brothers have to find out what had happened.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Raph grunted as he lifted the large statue back in place. “Why did you bring only me?”

Renet shrugged, “I figured that one of you would be enough and didn’t want to bother all of you so I asked the time scepter to bring the strongest.”

“Yeah?” Raph flashed her a toothy grin. “The strongest huh?”

“I cannot thank you enough for helping me with this,” Renet heaved a sigh of relief. “Lord Simultaneous would have been so mad if he found that statue on the ground like that. It’s his great grandfather or something like that.”

“How did you even manage to knock it down?” Raph asked, shaking the feeling back into his hands.

Renet snorted, “You don’t even want to know. I owe you big time for this.”

“I’m here without my brothers. I’m sure we can think of some way you can pay me back,” Raph wiggled his eye ridges.

Renet laughed, “Not gonna happen. And besides, you’re with Donny.”

“No one knows that,” Raph froze and glared at Renet. “We’ve kept it secret and I know I didn’t bring it up.”

“Oh, yeah,” Renet giggled.

“How do you know?”

“Well,” Renet blushed. “I check up on you guys every now and again.”

“You watch us?” Raph yelled.

“Nononononono,” Renet backed away. “I always turn it off before your start. I have not seen your… ah… penis.”

“Renet,” Raph growled.

“I swear,” she cowered a bit. “I don’t watch you guys have sex.”

Raph blushed and looked away, “You couldn’t have watched something that hasn’t happened yet.”

“Really?” Renet tilted her head to the side. “You two are really hot and heavy when I turn it off.”

“It’s a new relationship and where still trying to figure things out,” Raph admitted, trying not to think too much on what Renet had said. It was weird that she watched them. “It’s not an easy task when it’s all in your tail.”

“You’ll figure it out,” Renet waved it off. “I mean there are turtle creatures in other dimensions who have figured it out, so Donny should have no problem with it.”

“Renet!” Lord Simultaneous’ voice echoed off the walls.

“You gotta go,” Renet panicked.

“Yeah okay,” Raph placed his hands on his hips. “What’s he gonna do to you anyway?”

Renet held up the Time Scepter, “I don’t know. He treats me like a kid.” She pointed it at Raph, “Time Scepter, send Raph home.” The portal opened and pulled Raph through. Renet sighed, “A five year old kid,” she complained, mumbling to herself.

 

….

 

Leo was getting frustrated. Despite the attempt to keep it under control Donny could see it in his eyes. Raph was late for morning practice, again, but Donny couldn’t understand why. They hadn’t spent any time together the night before, which was usually the reason for Raph’s tardiness.

“Raph,” Leo finally bellowed. Ever since Splinter relinquished full leadership to Leo, the animosity between Raph and Leo only grew. Raph often went off to do his own thing just to push Leo’s buttons. “Get to practice now!”

Donny was assisting Mikey with his morning stretches by pushing gently on his carapace so that he could touch his toes. They youngest turtle had grown significantly in the past year and was having troubles with his flexibility. The rapid growth caused his balance to be off and his joints to hurt so Donny helped him as much as possible to get his body moving in the morning. Mikey was now the tallest of his brothers and slender do to the increased metabolism and Raph liked to give him a hard time about it. The oddest part was that the pitch of his voice went up and softened. 

The shuffling of feet coming down the hall had a small smile form on Donny’s face and he readied himself for the argument that was about to happen. He just knew that Leo was going to lay into Raph for being late and then Raph would do his best to work Leo into a frazzled state. He knew he shouldn’t find it funny, but his love for Raph had him enjoying some of his antics more than he really should. 

“You better have a good reason for being so late,” Leo chided with his back turned to the entrance. A soft yawn had Donny looking up. He felt Mikey go slack under his hands as they looked up to see their brother. “What?” Leo breathed, looking over his shoulder.

Raph stood in the entrance to the dojo, rubbing his eyes, his mask hanging loosely around his neck. Tears filled Donny’s eyes as he processed that his larger brother now looked to be no older than five. “Raph?” Donny gasped out.

Sleepy eyes opened more to look up at his brothers, then widened in surprise. “How did you guys get so big?” Raph looked around. “I wanna be big.”

Donny walked over to Raph. “What happened?”

Raph looked up at him. “What?”

Leo walked over to stand next to Donny. “How old are you?”

“I’m five years old,” Raph answered with a grin.

“I’m gonna go check his room,” Donny choked out before running past Raph.

“It’s clean,” Raph called after him. “But I didn’t make my bed.”

Donny rushed into Raph’s room in hopes of finding whatever could have caused him to turn into a five year old. Tears streamed down his cheeks while he frantically searched. “There’s gotta be something,” he yelled at himself, dumping out the contents of a box. “This couldn’t have happened without a reason.” 

Mikey walked into the room. “If it was clean, it’s not anymore.”

Donny turned to look at him. “Do you see anything strange?”

“Yeah,” Mikey looked around then back at Donny. “You. You’re crying and tearing through Raph’s room. This is something Raph would do, you’re usually more in control than this.”

“I’m trying to find answers, Mikey,” Donny snapped at him. “Our brother is inexplicably five years old again. If you’re not gonna help then leave.”

“Splinter sent me to get you, so I’m not going anywhere until you agree to come,” Mikey stated flatly.

“Fine,” Donny said, standing up. “Let’s go.”

When they got back into the dojo, Donny’s heart sank at the sight of Raph playing in the corner. How could he regress in age fifteen years over night?

Splinter sighed, “Out of all of you, why did it have to be Raphael?”

“What do you mean, Master?” Leo looked over at Raph.

“Raphael was such a hand full,” Splinter explained. “I don’t have the energy to deal with that again.”

“You have us,” Mikey smiled. “How hard could one kid be for four adults?”

Donny spent hours searching Raph’s room only to end up finding a small box of mementos from the few ‘dates’ they were able to go on. Tears filled Donny’s eyes as he looked through the small items. He had no idea that Raph was so sentimental. He placed the box aside so that he could take it to his room later then found Raph’s porn stash. 

“There’s the Raph I love,” Donny chuckled and placed the box of porn with the other; he wasn’t going to leave it to where Raph can find it but he wasn’t going to throw it out either. 

Unable to find anything in Raph’s room that could lead them to any answers, Donny took Raph into his lab to run some tests. Raph’s eyes went wide in wonderment as he looked around at all the computers and various devices. That wonder was quickly lost the second Donny stuck him to draw a vile of blood.  
Raph kicked and pulled away from him. “Don’t do that again!”

“I’m sorry Raph,” Donny soothed. “I need to run some tests.”

“You hurt me.” Raph glared at him. “Don’t touch me.”

“Okay,” Donny nodded. “I’m done. Why don’t you go out and play with Mikey.”

Raph stomped his way out of the lab and stayed in a huff for a while longer, sitting on the sofa with his arms crossed over his plastron and glaring at Don anytime he got too close. Raph behaved, for the most part, the rest of the day though he stayed away from Donny. He played video games with Mikey, did his lessons with Splinter and Leo. But dinner time brought on a new set of problems when Raph refused to eat and kicked the table when they insisted on him trying it, spilling everyone’s drinks in the process.

Leo had to stand in order to keep his hot tea from spilling into his lap. “Raph!”

Raph sat frozen in his seat, looking up at him.

“If you don’t want to eat it, then you can go without,” Leo yelled at him, picking his plate up off the table. “You’re done, get up.”

This caused Raph to let out a long wailing cry and tears to stream down his face. “You don’t have to yell at me.” Leo picked Raph up and carried him into his room. “No! No,” Raph cried out as Leo place him in his room. 

“You can stay in here until you’ve calmed down,” Leo told him before shutting the door.

Raph sat in his room crying for a good ten minutes before settling down. When Leo went in to check on him, Raph scowled up at him and pointed. “Don’t do that again.”

Leo felt himself flush in anger. “You don’t talk to me like that.”

“You’re not father,” Raph crossed his arms over his plastron and huffed. “You don’t talk to me like that,” he shot back.

“You can just stay in here then,” Leo blurted out before shutting the door.

Raph stayed in his room gently crying for another hour then started to bang on the door. “Let me out,” he cried. “I don’t wanna be alone.”

Donny opened the door and Raph hid from him under the hammock, covering his arms as best he could. Kneeling down, Donny tried to sound as gentle as possible. “Why are you hiding from me?”

“I don’t want you to hurt me again,” Raph answered in a small voice.

“I’m not gonna hurt you again,” Donny soothed. “I promise.”

Uncurling himself, Raph crawled out to Donny. “Can I come out of my room now,” Raph begged.

Donny nodded, “Yeah.” He stood and was surprised to see Raph lift his arms. “You want me to pick you up?” When Raph nodded his head, Donny lifted his brother. Raph nuzzled close to Donny, resting his head on Don’s shoulder and wrapped his arms behind Don’s neck.

By the time Donny got back to the common room, Raph was asleep. He sat down on the sofa, keeping Raph in his lap. “What are we gonna do?” he mumbled. He had to fight the tears that threatened to flow as he held his love in his arms. “I couldn’t find anything wrong with him.”

“I have been thinking about it,” Splinter spoke. “Maybe The Ultimate Daimyo can help us.”

“How?” Mikey asked. “We don’t even know how this happened.”

“I am hoping that the Daimyo can find that out for us,” Splinter answered. “He has a team of mystic healers who can examine Raphael in ways that are unheard of in this realm.”

“If you think it best,” Donny nodded his head. “I’m willing to try anything.

“Then it is settled,” Leo stood. “In the morning we head to the Nexus to seek the Daimyo’s help.”

“That is if Raph doesn’t turn back into an egg overnight,” Mikey added tartly.

“Mikey,” Leo sighed.

Mikey grinned up at him, “Sorry. I don’t handle stress very well. That was my attempt at humor.”

“We are all concerned for your brother,” Splinter placed a hand on Mikey’s shoulder. “We will do all that we can for him no matter the outcome.”

“I’m going to bed,” Donny stood. “I’ll let him sleep in with me.”

“He should sleep in his own room.” Leo crossed his arms over his plastron.

Donny glared at him. “When we were five, the four of us slept together because none of us wanted to sleep alone. I’m not gonna force him to now.” Without waiting for a reply, Donny headed back up to his room.

He laid Raph down on the bed then ran his hand over his head. “Why did this happen?” For the first time he let himself cry. “I want you back. Will you still want me when you grow up? Fifteen years is a big age gap.”

Climbing into bed, Don wrapped his arms around Raph and pulled him close. “I won’t give up on you.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> KC belongs to Dragona15 on DA.

Even though Leo had decided to give the others the morning off, due to the stress brought by the situation, Leo still went on his early morning run. He returned home, entering the old reservoir pump station to find Mikey listening to music while making breakfast. Leo watched as Mikey cooked, swishing his tail in time to the music and found himself captivated by the slender appendage. 

He made his way over to Mikey’s side. “What are you making?”

“Scrambled eggs, sliced fruit, and toast,” Mikey answered then pointed to a kettle on the stove. “I have water hot and ready for you to make tea.”

Leo nuzzled Mikey. “You are too good to me.” He then playfully pinched Mikey’s tail.

“Hey,” Mikey squeaked. “Someone might see.”

“Let them,” Leo smiled. “We should tell the others, we’ve been together long enough to know that we both want more and we can’t keep it a secret for long.”

“Y…you want more?” Mikey stammered as he whisked the eggs.

“Yeah,” Leo poured water into his tea pot to let the tea leaves seep. He placed the lid on the pot then turned to lean on the counter. “I really enjoy the kissing, but I would also love to take that next step in our relationship.”

“I don’t know if I’m ready,” Mikey poured the eggs into the skillet. 

“I’m not talking about sex Mikey,” Leo watched Mikey as he tended the eggs. “I just think we should tell the others and maybe share a room.”

“I’m okay with telling everyone else,” Mikey nodded. “And if Master Splinter says it’s alright I can move into your room, mine’s kinda a mess.”

“Good,” Leo smiled and walked over to kiss Mikey’s cheek. “We’ll do it after we get back from visiting the Daimyo.”

Leo could see the blush that spread across Mikey’s beak and down his neck and it ignited a desire to see him flush like that for more intimate reasons. Mikey let out a steading breath, “Okay.”

Leo placed his hand on Mikey’s shoulder. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Leo.” Mikey leaned in and gave Leo and quick kiss. “I do want to be with you, but I’m just not ready. Maybe sharing a room will be a good thing.”

“Take all the time you need,” Leo turned to pour himself a cup of tea then took his seat at the table. “I can wait.”

 

……

 

Donny woke up, breathing in Raph’s scent and nuzzled his love’s neck. Raph’s soft giggle snapped Don awake and the memories came flooding back. He looked down at Raph and tried his best to hide his sorrow. “Good morning.”

“Morning,” Raph mumbled. 

“Do you want something to eat?” Donny got up then lifted Raph off the bed. 

“Yeah,” Raph answered. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he bolted from the room. 

Donny followed after as Raph ran into the kitchen. Leo was already up and at the table, drinking his tea while Mikey made breakfast. Donny saw the flush across Mikey’s beak and assumed it was from the heat of the stove. 

Raph climbed into one of the chairs and sat on his feet so that he could see over the table. “I want pancakes,” he declared. “With blue berries.”

“We’re having eggs,” Leo replied. 

Donny expected another fit from Raph, but instead Raph nodded his head. “I like eggs,” he smiled then looked up at Mikey. “Can I help?”

“I’m almost done, little dude,” Mikey answered. “Next time.”

“Oh,” Raph pouted. 

“You can get the forks,” Mikey offered and Raph climbed off the chair. He headed to the drawer that Mikey indicated and grabbed five forks. He then placed them one at a time around the table then sat back down. 

Leo raised an eye ridge, “Thank you.”

Raph smiled up at him, “I wanna be big too. Do you think if I’m good I will get big like you?”

“You never know,” Leo answered as he took another sip of tea. 

The rest of the morning went smoothly with Raph practicing katas with Splinter and a short lesson with Donny. Then he helped gather up the supplies for their trip into the Nexus. 

“He’s actually behaving,” Leo placed his katana in their sheaths. “I was expecting the morning to be full of his tantrums.”

“He had his moments,” Splinter smiled as he watched Raph take Donny by the hand. “He can be good when he wants to be.”

Leo walked over to the wall and drew the symbols before beginning the chant. Raph hid behind Donny as the portal opened and held his hand tight. “It’s okay,” Donny soothed. “It’s just a glowing door.”

Raph clenched his eyes shut and held Donny’s hand tight as they walked through the portal. He trembled as the tingle of magic ran over their bodies. “I don’t like it,” he shouted. 

“We’re though,” Donny soothed. 

Opening one eye first, Raph looked around while still holding on to Donny. “Wow,” he gasped out as he looked around the room. “It’s so big and clean.” Gyoji suddenly appeared and greeted them with a bow causing Raph shrieked and run to hide behind Splinter. “Father, it’s a ghost.”

Splinter chuckled and placed a hand on top of Raph’s head, “Gyoji is the Daimyo’s assistant. He is not a ghost.” Ushering Raph forward he had him stand in front of Gyoji. “There is no need to be frightened, my son. He is a friend.”

Raph looked up at Gyoji then turned to press his face into Splinter’s kimono. “He’s scary.”

Splinter sighed, “Give him time. He will get over it.”

“Of course,” Gyoji bowed. “Please follow me. The Daimyo is waiting.”

They were led through the Daimyo’s home and Raph walked next to Splinter, holding his kimono tight. When they reached the Daimyo’s throne room, Raph’s eyes got wide. Donny half expected him to run in fear, but instead he ran up to the Daimyo. “Wow, you’re big!”

The Daimyo looked down at Raph then back up at Splinter. “What has happened to your son?”

“That is what we were hoping you could tell us,” Splinter bowed. “He woke up yesterday morning and was a child, with no memories of being an adult.”

“Gyoji, fetch a healer,” the Daimyo ordered as he stood. As Gyoji bowed and made his exit, the Daimyo walked down to stand in front of Splinter. “You helped save my son. I will do what I can to help yours.”

The healers took Raph to run their tests while the others waited. When they brought him back, Raph had a red bean bun in his hands that he was happily devouring. “Did he do alright?” Donny asked rushing up to Raph. 

The healer smiled, “He behaved himself.”

Leo walked over to the healer, “Did you find anything?”

The healer placed a hand on Raph shoulder as he spoke. “There is evidence of temporal magic, but beyond that we do not know.”

“Can you change him back?” Mikey asked. 

“No,” the healer shook his head. “We do not possess that kind of power.”

“So then, he’ll just have to age naturally again.” Donny wiped a tear from his cheek. “There’s nothing we can do.”

“How did Raph come in contact to temporal magic?” Leo knelt down to look at his brother. “Why you?”

Donny shrugged, “Maybe it was just a fluke. Some residual magic left over from everything that had happened to us. I don’t understand magic enough to really hypothesize.”

“I’m sorry that there wasn’t more that I could do,” the Daimyo placed a hand on Splinter’s shoulder. “You are welcome to stay for dinner if you like.”

“Thank you,” Splinter bowed. “I think we will.”

The Daimyo nodded, “Good. My son has been begging for Leonardo to visit.”

Leo chuckled, “And, I look forward to spending time with Ue-Sama.” 

Leo spent the hours before dinner with Ue-Sama, going through katas and weapons training. The Daimyo sat with Splinter to comfort his friend while they drank tea. “I know this will be difficult for you, but at least you have not lost your son entirely. When my son was returned to me as a child, I vowed to myself to raise him better this time.”

Splinter nodded, “My sadness comes not for myself but for Donatello.”

“Oh?” the Daimyo looked at Splinter. 

“Though they tried to keep it a secret, I knew that Donatello was exploring a relationship with Raphael,” Splinter explained. “The relationship was still new and now Donatello suffers the loss.” He looked over at Leo practicing with Ue-Sama then over at Michelangelo. “Leonardo and Michelangelo are also in a relationship, though it is newer. I was wondering which couple would come to me first, now I wonder if Donatello will be able to overcome this hardship in the face of watching his brothers’ love develop.”

“I wish there was more I could do.” The Daimyo turned to watch Donny and Mikey as they played with Raph.

“You gave us some answers,” Splinter took a sip of his tea. “And I thank you for that.”

When Dinner was served, Donny made up a plate for Raph and placed it on the table. The small Turtle looked down at the plate in front of him and curled up his beak. “I don’t like it.”

“You haven’t even tried it,” Donny countered. “At least take a bite.”

Raph sniffed the food, “It’s yucky.”

“Take a bite,” Donny insisted. 

“Okay,” Raph sighed, stabbing the food with a chopstick. “What is it?”

“Dumplings,” Donny answered, picking up a dumpling and taking a bite. 

“I don’t like dumpings,” Raph stuck out his tongue. 

“Eat it,” Leo growled at him, losing his patience. 

Raph leaned forward and took a bite of the dumpling. He held it in his mouth and tears dripped from his eyes. “I don’t like it,” he mumbled past the food. 

“Chew it up and swallow it,” Leo glared at him. 

Raph’s jaw started to slowly work at the food in his mouth then his hand came up to cover his mouth as he gagged. 

“Don’t you dare,” Leo warned. Raph chewed some more then gagged again. Leo slammed his hands on the table, “Stop that.”

“Here,” Donny lifted a napkin to Raph’s mouth. “Just spit it out.” Raph pushed the half chewed food into the napkin then Donny handed him a glass of water. “Take a drink.”

“I want the milk tea,” Raph pointed. 

“You can have milk tea when you eat some food,” Leo moved the cup of milk tea from Raph’s reach. 

“I want it,” Raph stood to reach for it. 

“No,” Leo snapped. “You need to eat.”

“I’m not hungry,” Raph whined. 

“Leo, just let him have the tea,” Donny sighed. 

“No,” Leo crossed his arms over his plastron. “I’m not going to let him misbehave.”

“You’re being too hard on him,” Donny argued. 

“And you’re mollycoddling him,” Leo countered. 

“Boys,” Splinter interrupted, stopping their argument. He looked at Raph, “Would you like some rice?”

Raph nodded.

Splinter grabbed a bowl of rice and handed it to Raph, “How about an egg or some pork?”

“Both,” Raph held his bowl out for Splinter to top his rice. As he ate his dinner Splinter placed the milk tea where Raph could reach it. 

“You must learn patience when dealing with a child,” Splinter instructed. 

“Raph is one to try my patience,” Leo sighed. 

Raph grabbed his cup of milk tea and took a drink while looking at Leo. Putting the cup back down, Raph stuck his tongue out. “See,” Leo pointed at Raph while looking at Splinter. “He is deliberately pushing my buttons.” 

“Do not let him,” Splinter smiled. 

As if in response to Splinter’s words Raph kicked Leo in the shin. “That’s it,” Leo grabbed the upper lip of Raph’s carapace and lifted him off the ground. 

“Le’mego,” Raph kicked his feet while raising his hands to try to pry Leo’s grip free. “You’re being rude.”

“Leo,” Donny called after him, but Leo didn’t stop.

Mikey sighed, “Even with Raph a cute little five year old, those two still go at it.”

“You’re going in a timeout,” Leo stated, walking Raph out of the room. “You can sit in there for a few minutes to calm down then you need to say you’re sorry to everyone. After that, you can sit down to eat.”

“No!” Raph struggled. “You need to say you’re sorry, you are not being nice.” 

Leo placed Raph on the floor, “You sit here. I’ll get you when your timeout is over.”

“You’re not the boss of me,” Raph shouted. 

Leo leaned in close to Raph, “Yes I am. Now sit.”

Raph huffed as he sat down, “I don’t like you.”

“That’s fine,” Leo said as he walked from the room. “But I will teach you to respect me.” When he returned, he sat at the table with the others and bowed. “I’m sorry for my brother’s behavior.”

“It’s alright,” the Daimyo chuckled. “Children can be a hand full.”

Donny was able to keep time in his head and as soon as five minutes was up He looked at Leo, “He’s been in there long enough.”

“What do you mean?” Leo lifted an eye ridge. 

“One minute for each year of age,” Donny explained. “Anything beyond that is pointless.”

“Fine,” Leo took another bite. “You can go get him.”

“No,” Donny leaned in. “You put him in timeout. You are supposed to be the one who gets him out. Or do you want him to view me as his savior and you as the brute?”

Leo stood, “Very well.” He walked into the other room to get Raph, but when he got there the room was empty. “Raph!?” he looked around. “Get out here now.” He waited for a few moments then started to search the room. “Raph?” That’s when he noticed that one of the other doors was open. “Raph!” he ran to the door and looked around the new room. There was another door open and he raced towards it. “No, please no.”

Panic started to fill Leo as he raced through the rooms and his heart sank when the open doors led him outside. “Raph!” he shouted then mumbled under his breath. “You little shit, always running away.”

He rushed back into the house to where the others were still at the table. “Raph’s gone,” he announced as soon as he entered the room.

“Gone?” Donny stood.

“He’s either hiding somewhere in the house or he’s made his way outside,” Leo clenched his fists. “I didn’t think he was going to run off like that.”

“It’s Raph,” Mikey stood and ran past Leo. “He always runs.”

“I will stay in the estate,” Splinter grabbed Leo before he had the chance to leave. “The city outside the Daimyo’s estate is large; the three of you will need to fan out.”

“Hai, Sensei,” Leo bobbed before heading out.

“I will also send scouts out to look for your son,” the Daimyo offered. “It would be best that we find him soon.”

“Is there reason to be concerned about his safety?” Splinter’s voice was filled with worry. 

“There are some… unsavory individuals within the city,” the Daimyo explained. “They are powerful enough to hide from me.”

“We must hurry,” Splinter dashed through the house with Donny following close after. 

 

**

 

Raph ran through the throngs of people in the streets. He never intended to go outside. He was sitting in the room when he heard something and went to see what it was. When he peeked through the door he saw a giant, man sized bug and ran. 

The more he ran the more frightened he became. There were so many strange creatures all around. Before he knew it, he was outside running through the scariest creatures he had ever seen. He just wanted to find somewhere to hide and wait for his family to come and find him. 

He ducked down an ally and hid in the back corner. He wasn’t there long before someone joined him. “I saw you come in here,” the other called out in sing song. He walked up to Raph and looked down, “There you are.” He was an orange turtle with strange blue markings and a tattered cloth wrapped around his neck, covering his mouth. “My name’s K.C.” He extended a hand out to Raph, “I’m a Kame too. Let me help you.”

Trembling, Raph reached out and took the stranger’s hand.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning!!! Rape in front, but not with, a child. 
> 
> KC and Bloo belong to Dragona15 and Frankenpup

Donny raced through the town looking for Raph, stopping a few of the pedestrians and asking if they had seen him. A few actually pointed him the direction that they believed they had seen Raph run. One rather scary looking individual said that Raph took one look at him and scrammed in terror before running off down the street.

Donny apologized to the man after a long winded speech about how it had hurt his feelings then rushed in the direction he had pointed. “Raph,” he called out in to a dark ally.

“Raph,” someone barked from behind Donny and he turned to see an odd looking creature. He was a blue reptile of some sort with a shell and a long tail. His tongue stuck out of his mouth, dripping with white fluid and his black eyes dripped with black ooze. He thrilled when Donny turned to look at him and tilted his head as he looked Don over.

“Have you seen a small turtle come through here?” Donny asked the strange creature who just stood there looking at him. “Do you even understand me?” Donny sighed. “You don’t look all that smart.”

The blue turtle started to nod his head and indicated for Donny to follow him. He was suddenly extremely happy and eager to get Donny to go with him. He grunted, chirped and trilled as he waved his hand and pointed towards a building on the other side of the street.

Donny sighed, “Why do I have a feeling that this is going to be a waste of time?”

He followed the other turtle across the street but did not cross the threshold into the building, deciding to instead simply peek inside. “Hello?” he called out. “Anyone here?”

“Bloo!” an orange turtle with blue markings walked into the immediate room. He had a tattered cloth wrapped around his neck, covering his face and his left eye was capped over in white. “You are such a good boy. If he isn’t one of the boy’s brothers then I’ll eat my own tail.” The orange turtle looked up at Donny. “My name is K.C. Please come inside.”

“Donatello,” Donny bowed in response, staying where he was. “Have you seen a young turtle run through this way?”

“Yes,” K.C. answered with a bob of his head. “I sent Bloo here out to wait for you.” He patted Bloo on the head and the odd turtle nuzzled K.C. partially purring in delight. K.C. chuckled and scratched Bloo under his chin then Bloo licked up K.C.’s face, leaving a trail of the white fluid in its wake.

“Where is he?” Donny prompted, trying not to show his disgust in the display.

“Right here,” K.C. pointed to Bloo. “He hasn’t left the room.” He tilted his head as he considered Donny. “Is your eyesight bad? Is that how you lost the boy in the first place? They have ways of correcting that you know.”

Donny stood in dumb silence for a while before sputtering out, “No… no! Not him, my brother. Where is Raph?”

“Oh,” K.C. blew a raspberry then snorted out a laugh. “I thought you were asking about Bloo here.” Bloo took a few seconds but soon joined in the laughter and Donny wondered if the odd creature even understood why he was laughing.

“Why would I be asking about Bloo?” Donny was starting to feel flustered. “I’m looking for my brother and you said you’d seen him. Where is he?”

“Why don’t you come in and I’ll take you to him,” K.C. gestured for Donny to step in. “He’s in the back.”

“I think not.” Don shook his head. He was getting a bad vibe from K.C. and his little ‘pet’. “Just bring him to me, please.”

“Okay,” K.C. held up his hands. “Okay. I’ll just go and get him then.” 

Donny stood and watched while K.C. left the room, leaving him with Bloo who brought a hand up to wipe away some of the black goo from his eyes then spent the rest of the time just standing there staring at nothing with his tongue sticking out.

The seconds ticked by and Donny started to worry that this was turning into a monumental waste of time. “You know what,” Donny started to back up. “This has been strange, but I’m gonna go continue my search.” He was about to turn and go when he was thrust forward from a solid hit on the back of the head. K.C. stood over Donny’s prone form then grabbed the upper lip of Don’s carapace to drag him all the way in.

“I insist you come in,” K.C. grunted. “Bloo, shut the door. I tried being nice but you were just too stubborn.”

The blow to the back of the head dazed Donny enough that K.C was able to bind his hands before the fog cleared. He was half dragged half carried into the back room. He passed through the familiar tingle of magic and was dumped on the floor.

“Donny,” Raph rushed over to him. “What’s going on?”

K.C. lifted Raph by the lip of his carapace and threw him on the bed. “What did I tell you?”  
Raph looked at him; fear was plastered on his face and he was too frightened to reply. K.C pressed his face close to Raph’s and that was all it took to send the young turtle into a fit of tears.

“Leave him alone.” Donny managed to get to his feet.

K.C tilted his head to look at Donny. “You’ve got spunk.” He shook his head. “Spunk is bad. That means it’s gonna take longer to break you. No one is gonna buy a slave with spunk.”

“I’m friends with the Daimyo.” Donny struggled against the ropes around his wrists. “He’s looking for us.”

K.C.’s deep laugh sent a shiver down Donny’s spine. “I’ve been hiding from the Daimyo, right under his nose, for decades. He’s more afraid of what I’ll do than I am of what he can do to me.”

“You can’t hurt the Daimyo.” Donny had to swallow hard past the lump in his throat.

“No.” K.C.’s eyes smiled. “But I can, and do, hurt his people and there ain’t a damn thing he can do about it.”

“What are you going to do with us?”

K.C. sauntered over to Donny. “Raph here told me all about you guys. He was very talkative in the beginning.” He reached up and grabbed Donny’s face. “You’re the smart one? Then I don’t need to explain what I’m about to do with you.” As K.C. pulled the cloth away from his face, revealing the nasty scar along the left half that exposed his teeth even with his mouth closed, Donny couldn’t stop the whimper that escaped him. “Now I’m gonna break you so that I can sell you,” K.C. growled the pulled back. “Well shit. I just told you what I was gonna do after I told you that I didn’t need to.”

He let go of Donny’s face and dragged him to the bed by his carapace. Panic filled Donny as he was dragged across the floor and he struggled against his restraints. Raph sat on the bed whimpering, too scared to move.

“Please.” Donny tried not to cry. “Not in front of my brother.”

“You can’t shelter him any longer.” K.C. threw Donny, plastron down, on the bed. “He’s gonna be sold soon enough and most of my clients will enjoy breaking him themselves. Which is good, I don’t like being with kids and as far as I know Bloo doesn’t either.”

“Donny?” Raph crawled across the bed to lie down next to Don. “I’m scared.”

“It’s okay.” Donny tried to keep calm. “Don’t be scared. Just lie down next to me and don’t look down.”

Raph snuggled up close to Donny and pressed their foreheads together. “Okay.”

Donny’s head screamed and he knew that he was suffering the symptoms of a concussion; his stomach churned and he was having a hard time keeping focus. The rope around his wrists bit into his flesh as he tried to break free.

“I’m really good at tying knots.” K.C. reached between Donny’s legs and pulled his tail down. “You’re only hurting yourself. I won’t get as much if you are too scarred up.” He reached up and smacked the back of Don’s head, sending stars to dance in Donny’s eyes. “So, stop it.”

Donny’s vision tunneled and he was in such a daze that he was unaware of what was going on around him. As the fog cleared, Donny quickly realized what K.C. was doing and he felt his heart sink. 

He felt K.C.’s thick cock inside of him, roughly sliding along his dry inner walls. The pain that came with each push and pull burned. K.C. managed to strake a spot inside of Donny that would have felt good under different circumstances. 

Tears stung Donny’s eyes and he blinked a few times to clear his vision and locked eyes with Raph. “Look at me,” Donny choked out. “Don’t look down, just look in my eyes.” Raph nodded and kept his eyes locked on Donny’s.

K.C. laughed as he thrusts in to Donny. “You won’t be able to protect him for long.” He stopped moving and laughed even harder. “Bloo, grab the kid.”

“No,” Donny cried out as Bloo took hold of Raph then K.C. turned Don over so that he was on his back with his carapace pressing against his bound hands. The sudden movement made Don’s head swim and his stomach threatened to empty itself.

Raph thrashed in Bloo’s hands and K.C. reached out to grab him by the neck. “Now, be a good boy.” Raph froze in fear and K.C. laughed. “Hold him so he gets a good view.”

“Please,” Donny cried. “Don’t do this.”

Bloo held Raph so that he could see K.C. thrust into Donny. K.C. reached up and patted Bloo’s head. “Good boy.” Bloo chirped in response, his tail wagging in excitement.

“What are you doing to Donny?” Raph sobbed.

“Breaking him in,” K.C. answered. “I can tell it’s gonna take a lot of work.” He increased the ferocity of his thrusts, causing Donny to call out and tears to streak down Donny cheeks.

“You’re hurting him,” Raph cried, struggling in Bloo’s arms. “Please stop.”

“Oh,” K.C. patted Raph’s cheek a couple of times increasing the force behind each pat, ending with a light slap. “It won’t matter to you after tomorrow. Something as cute as you will sell quickly.”

“Please let him go,” Donny panted. “I’ll behave, just don’t hurt him.”

K.C. thrust hard into Donny, churring out his pleasure as he did. “I will get you to behave soon enough. You and the boy are gonna be sold.”

Donny turned his head and cried and Bloo let out a sorrowful trill. He looked up and K.C. with pleading eyes. “Hurt.”

K.C. stopped thrusting and looked at Bloo. “If he would just relax, he’d like it, like you do. Or if I had added some lube or took some time to prep him, he might be enjoying it.” Laughing K.C. continued to move. “He needs to learn to like it, his future owner’s gonna wanna do this every day and there is no guarantee that they will treat him any better.”

Raph continued to cry as he was forced to watch K.C. rape Donny, who was going numb from his injuries and shock. K.C. churred out his pleasure, his cock throbbing and hardening further. “So tight,” K.C. panted. A few more shallow thrusts and K.C. finished with a deep churr.

Raph’s cries echoed in Donny’s head as darkness overtook him and he lost consciousness.

 

….

 

Donny woke up to the feeling of someone nudging him. His vision was blurred and he blinked his eyes trying to focus as he looked around. Bloo was pushing on him. “Wake,” he chirped. “Wake.”

“What? Do you want a turn,” Donny asked tartly. “Is K.C. finally gonna let you?” Donny had no idea how long he had been with K.C. and Bloo, but he figured it had been a few days. Each day consisted of K.C. ‘conditioning’ Donny. The only thing Donny was grateful for was that K.C. was having a hard time finding a buyer for Raph. His brother currently slept peacefully next to him on the bed but each of his days was filled with torment, having to watch while K.C. raped Don.

Anytime K.C. entered the room Donny and Raph would both tense and Raph would start to cry as he held tight to Don. The worst part was that Donny was starting to feel himself slip and he stopped trying to fight back. Raph, however, was becoming braver and actually tried to bite K.C, earning himself a hard backhand to the face that sent him to the floor.

Bloo tilted his head to the side, considering Donny before rolling him to the side to bite at the rope that bound Don’s hands. Donny felt the bindings start to fall free and pulled against them. His arms were stiff and sore from the days of being behind his back and the tingling in his fingers told him that the circulation was returning to them.

He looked down at Bloo. “What are you doing?”

Bloo rushed over to the other side of the bed to collect the sleeping Raphael then headed to the door. Donny reached out to stop him, but his arms were weak and sluggish. Struggling against his protesting muscles, Donny got up off the bed and followed Bloo.

There was a sense of urgency in Bloo’s actions as he motioned for Donny to follow. When Donny reached Bloo’s side, the odd turtle lifted his tail, “Hold.” The gurgling voice of Bloo still made Donny’s stomach churn.

He reached up and grabbed hold of Bloo’s tail and was then led through the wall of magic that was over the door. Bloo looked around and sniffed the air before heading to the door on the opposite side of the room. Opening the door, Bloo looked out before handing Raph over to Donny. “Go.”

Donny’s arms trembled against the weight of Raph, but he was determined to hold him. Stepping out, Donny turned to look at Bloo. “What’s gonna happen to you?”

Bloo jumped up and down shooing them away, “Go!”

“Come with us,” Donny offered.

Bloo hissed as black tears oozed from his eyes and the white drool dripped from his ever exposed tongue. Don stepped back into the street, away from the strange creature, unsure what to do. 

“Bloo!” Donny turned to see K.C. standing just down the street. “What have I told you about letting my inventory go?”

A moment of panic had Donny frozen in place, but then Raph shifted in his arms and his need to get him to safety took over. Turning, Don bolted away from K.C. and headed in the direction of the Daimyo’s estate. Adrenaline coursed through Donny’s veins and pushed him to run. He could hear K.C.’s foot falls behind him and Donny went blind with fear.

The night had the streets empty of pedestrians and the few people that he saw he feared would fail to protect him or where just as bad as the one who pursued him, so he ran for the Daimyo. His vision tunneled, honing in on the estate, and blocking out everything else. 

Hands grabbed him and he screamed in terror. He was pulled into a tight embrace and a familiar voice reached his ears. “Donny, it’s okay,” Leo soothed. “I’ve got you.”

“He’s gonna get us,” Donny struggled to get out of Leo’s grasp. “We have to get out of here.”

“Who’s gonna get us,” Leo struggled to keep hold. “There’s no one here.”

Donny turned to look down the street, searching for K.C. but he didn’t see him. “He’s gone,” Donny felt tears fall down his cheeks. “I got away.” Exhaustion took over and Donny collapsed into Leo’s arms.


	4. Chapter 4

Leo barely had enough time to catch both Donny and Raph as they fell and it was fortunate that Mikey was so close by and was able to catch Raph as he fell from Donny’s arms. They hurried back to the Daimyo’s home and were led to the medical ward as soon as they entered the building. 

When Raph woke up and didn’t see Donny he went into a fit of panic. He started screaming that Donny had been sold into slavery and that he was next. When he saw Splinter, Raph rushed into his father’s arms and cried uncontrollably. 

The healers worked with Donatello for a few hours before coming out to tell them what had happened. They said that Donatello had told them everything and had given them as much information as he could remember. Leo’s heart sank as he listened to the healer go over Donny’s list of injuries and didn’t need the details to know what caused them. 

Raph trembled in Splinter’s arms. “He hurt Donny.”

Splinter caressed Raph’s cheek. “Did you see how Donatello was hurt?”

“They made me watch,” Raph answered, nodding his head. His tone was flat as he stared off at nothing in particular but there was pain in his voice that cut into Leo. “When I grow up I’m gonna find that guy and kill him.”

Splinter pulled Raphael close and wrapped his arms tight around him. Leo dropped to his knees next to them then he placed his hand on Raph’s little arm. “You’re both safe now. We’ll be going home soon and we can work on putting all of this behind you.”

“I want Donny,” Raph whimpered then started to cry. 

“The doctors are almost done with him,” Splinter soothed. “Then we will be able to go see him.” 

They waited for a few hours more while the medics worked on Donny. When they were finally able to see him, Raph ran up to him and lied down. Donny rolled over and wrapped his arms around Raph. “I’m okay. We’re safe now.”

Mikey lied down behind Donny and embraced him. “If you ever want to talk about it, I’m here for you.”

“I’ll be okay,” Donny turned so that he could look into Mikey’s eyes. “I’m more worried about Raph; he had to watch it all and he blames himself.”

“I shouldn’t have put Raph in another room,” Leo fought to hold back his tears. “I knew that he had a tendency of running off.”

“I don’t want everyone playing the blame game with this.” Donny shook his head, “Raph ran because he saw something that frightened him and in his panic got turned around and he just kept running, looking for a place to hide. Then he was found by a Kame who called himself K.C. I guess Raph trusted him since he was another turtle.”

The Daimyo looked down at Donny. “You are lucky that you managed to escape him.”

Donny sat up. “It was actually his partner Bloo who let us go. I guess he didn’t like to see us hurt. I hope K.C. didn’t hurt him.”

“Either way, I am glad that you are safe,” Daimyo stated then turned to one of the healers. “Were you able to repair the damage?”

“We have healed the physical damage,” the healer nodded. “The psychological damage will take more time.”

“I’ll be alright,” Donny insisted. “I just wanna go home and get back to my lab.”

“Donny,” Mikey reached out but Donatello stood, picking Raph up in the process. 

“I said I’m fine.”

“Alright,” Leo held up his hands. “We’ll head home then, if you’re ready.”

“I’m ready,” Donny nodded. 

The Turtles and Splinter said their thanks to the Daimyo then Gyoji opened the portal and they stepped through. As soon as they were back in the station, Donny put Raph down. “I’ll be in my lab.” 

Leo moved to go after him, but Splinter held up his hand to stop Leo. “Let him go. He must come to terms with what happened to him in his own way. He knows that we are here, but he needs time.”

“Yes, Master.” Leo bowed his head then looked down at Raph. “It’s almost bed time.”

Raph looked at the door to Donny’s lab but didn’t say anything. Mikey moved forward and picked him up. “You can sleep with me tonight. Donny-boy’s gonna be up for a while tinkering in his lab.”

“Okay.” Raph wrapped his arms around Mikey’s neck and rested his head on his shoulders. 

“You’re safe now, little dude,” Mikey soothed while making his way upstairs.

Leo turned to Splinter. “I think I’ll head off to bed too. I didn’t get much sleep over the past few days.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Splinter nodded and hugged his eldest goodnight. He watched while Leo made his way to his room then he turned to head towards the kitchen. He made a pot of tea and added a packet of special herbs that he had received from the Daimyo. He poured a cup and took it to Donny’s lab. Splinter opened the door to find the genius at his computer, losing himself in his work. 

“I’m behind on my projects,” Donny stated when Splinter walked in, without looking up. “Bishop is expecting a report soon, he doesn’t know we were gone and I don’t think that there is a need to tell him. He doesn’t need to know. I don’t want him to know.”

Donny was rambling, trying to find words to say so that Splinter didn’t get the chance to speak. He didn’t need one. He wasn’t there to offer words, only comfort and a kind ear. Placing a hand on Donatello’s shoulder, Splinter leaned in to kiss the top of his head. 

“I’m fine,” Donny said though the tears started to fall. “I don’t need you guys to treat me any different.”

Splinter didn’t say anything, just stood there with his hand on his son’s shoulder. 

“I was so scared,” Donny confessed. “And ashamed that I let him get the drop on me like that. I failed Raph. I was there to rescue him but I got myself captured then r… attacked and he had to watch. I tried to shield him but I couldn’t. Leo and Mikey wouldn’t have fallen so easily.”

“From what I understand,” Splinter soothed. “K.C. is a dangerous creature who is feared by his own people. He has power at his disposal that has kept him safe from one as powerful as the Daimyo for decades. He is a ruthless assassin and slave trader. I do not think that either of your brothers would have fared any better.” 

“I should have been able to do more,” Donny hid his face in his hands. “I’m so weak.”

“No, my son, you are not weak,” Splinter insisted. “In the end, you were able to save Raphael. You went through a horrible ordeal and you still found the strength to get away.”

“I couldn’t do it alone,” Donny sobbed. “He was starting to win. It had only been three days and I was letting him win.”

Splinter placed the cup of tea on the table in front of Donny, “Drink.”

Donny looked at the cup. “What’s in it?”

“It will help you sleep,” Splinter answered. 

Nodding, Donny reached out and lifted the cup to his lips, “Thank you.”

Splinter waited while Donny drank the tea and then assisted him to his cot. The herbs quickly took effect and Donny was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Not wanting to leave Donny alone, Splinter sat in the recliner that Donny had in his lab for reading and went to sleep. Periodically throughout the night, Donny would cry in his sleep but did not wake up. Splinter would get up and gently soothe him until he was calm again before going back to sleep in the chair. 

…..

Donny woke with his mind in a fog and Raph in his arms. Mikey had taken Splinter’s place in the recliner at some point during the night. He looked over at Donny. “Raph woke up and wanted you, so I brought him in here and relieved Splinter.”

Donny pulled Raph close and nuzzled him. “It was real. We escaped and we’re home.”

Mikey knelt down next to the bed. “You’re home and safe.” 

Raph hummed and stretched as he came awake. “Donny?”

“I’m here,” Raphie.

“I’m hungry,” Raph rubbed the sleep from his eyes. 

“Then let’s get up and get some breakfast.” Mikey lifted Raph from the bed. “I’ll even let you help me this time.”

“Okay,” Raph perked up. 

Donny stood and Mikey smiled down at him. “Kids are resilient. He’s gonna be just fine.”

“I hope so.” Donny followed Mikey out. 

When they entered the common room, Leo was there talking to Casey and April. Donny’s heart sank, he didn’t want all the ‘I’m sorries’, and ‘Are you alrights’. He didn’t want to be treated with kid’s gloves; he just wanted to move on. 

April looked at him and smiled, holding up a box. “We brought doughnuts.”

“Yeah,” Casey added. “We figured we’d give Mikey the morning off from cooking.”

“Doughnuts!” Mikey beamed. “Thank you.” He looked down at Raph. “I guess you’ll have to wait ‘til lunch to help me cook.”

Wide eyed, Raph pointed to the two humans. “What are doughnuts and who are they?”

“Doughnuts are the best fried food in existence and they are our friends, Casey and April,” Mikey answered, placing Raph on the ground. 

“Dude,” Casey stepped forward. “Leo wasn’t kidding. Raph’s a kid.”

Trembling, Raph ran over to Splinter and held tight to his kimono then squeaked out, “His name’s K.C.?” 

“Oh,” Leo rushed to Raph and knelt down. “The names just sound the same but they’re not.” Leo looked back at Casey. “To make it easier, why don’t we just refer to you as Jones for a while.”

Casey nodded while April knelt down next to Leo and opened the box. “Do you wanna try one?” She held the box out so Raph could see in. Raph watched April as he reached into the box and pulled out a doughnut. 

When he took a bite, Raph’s eyes lit up. “This is good.”

“Would you like some milk with your doughnut?” Donny offered.

“Yes,” Raph answered past a mouth full of glazed goodness then reached into the box for a second one. With a doughnut in each hand Raph ran over to the table and managed to climb up into a chair. 

“I’m sorry about that,” Mikey grimaced. “I didn’t think about the similarities in the name. Do you think he’ll be okay?”

“He’ll be fine,” Splinter reassured him then he headed into the kitchen. “Why don’t we all sit at the table to enjoy our breakfast.” Donny poured Raph a glass of milk and then sat down next to him. 

They all managed to sit at the table with Raph safely between Donny and Mikey. They talked about little things and occasionally throwing out theories about what could have happened to Raph while Raph stuffed his face with pastries. “Can I have another one?” Raph asked. His face and hands were covered in chocolate glaze. 

“One more,” Leo insisted and tilted the box so Raph could choose one of the few remaining doughnuts. “We don’t want you to get a tummy ache.”

“Kay,” Raph grabbed another doughnut and took a big bite. 

Leo took a deep breath then let it out slowly. “Since we are all here, I guess now is as good a time as any to do this.”

“Do what?” Casey asked past a mouth full of doughnut and April sighed in disgust. 

“Mikey and I have been dating,” Leo stated slowly. “And we would like to… make our relationship official. Mikey will be moving into my room.” He sat up straight, “I know the stigmas that are attached to our relationship and I’m not asking for you guys to accept this or for your permission to do this, I’m just letting you know.”

“Leo,” April smiled, placing her hand on his. “I think it’s great.”

“Yeah, me too,” Casey added. 

Leo looked at Splinter, who smiled. “I am glad that they two of you have found happiness with each other.” Leo heaved a sigh of relief and looked up at Mikey to see a big grin on his love’s face. 

“I told you that everyone would be cool with it.”

Raph finished off his milk and placed the empty cup on the table before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “What’s dating?”

“They are in love,” Donny explained. “Leo is Mikey’s boyfriend and Mikey is going to be sleeping in Leo’s room from now on.”

“Will you be my boyfriend, Donny?” Raph asked and Donny’s eyes filled with tears. 

“Yeah,” Don nodded as he tried to contain his emotion. “I’ll be your boyfriend.”

“And I can sleep in your room every night?” Raph smiled. 

“Yes,” Donny answered, bringing Raph into a tight hug. “I love you so much.”

“Why are you crying, Donny?” Mikey reached past Raph to place a hand on his shoulder. 

“Raph and I w… were… together...b...b...before this happened,” Donny sobbed out. “We were going to tell you.” He looked up at Splinter for a moment before his face scrunched up as he cried. “How is he going to love me like that again when he grows up seeing me as a parent? I’ve lost the Raph I loved.”

“Oh, Donny,” April stood and rushed over to give Donatello a hug. 

Donny held Raph and tried to get his crying under control. “I don’t want everyone to feel bad for me. I just… I just… I wanna be left alone.”

April placed her hand on Donny’s cheek and turned his head so that he was looking at her. “That’s not gonna happen,” she insisted. “We’re not going to leave you alone to wallow in pain. We love you and want to help you through this. I understand that you don’t want us gushing all over you, but we are not going to ignore you either.”

“Donny, you’re squishing me,” Raph grunted. Donny relaxed his hold and Raph sighed in relief. Then out of the blue, Raph reached over and grabbed one of April’s breasts. “What’s in your shirt? It’s squishy.” April’s jaw dropped and Casey choked on his doughnut. “I need to pee.” Raph pulled out of Donny’s arms and ran off in the direction of the bathroom, leaving a chocolate, three fingered hand print on April’s shirt. 

“What just happened?” April looked around. “Did he really just grab my boob and run off?”

The others burst out laughing; all but Donny who watched Raph run off then wiped the tears from his eyes. “I don’t want things to be different. I know they are but I don’t want them to be.” He looked up at Leo. “You and Mikey don’t need to hide your feeling for each other around me; your happiness won’t bring me sadness. I just want you to know that.”

“I wish that there was something more I could do for you, Donny,” Leo sighed. 

“Just don’t make a big deal about anything and I’ll be fine,” Donny managed a weak smile. “If I need to talk about anything, I’ll come to one of you. I know you are here for me and that I won’t be a bother to you.”

Splinter reached across to place his hand on top of Donny’s. “I would like you to join me for some extra meditation so that you can work through your emotional turmoil.”

“Alright,” Donny nodded. “Just for today will you guys let me lose myself in my work? I have a report due for Bishop and it’s already late.”

“Sure, Donny,” Leo smiled softly. “We’ll only bother you when it’s time to eat.”

“Deal,” Donny managed to slight chuckle. 

The remainder of breakfast was spent focusing on Leo and Mikey and the gentle banter that came with a new relationship. Afterwards, Donny went into his lab while Leo and Mikey got to work moving Mikey into Leo’s room. 

Mikey was bent over, looking under his bed for a lost action figure with his tail stuck up in the air when Leo walked into the room. Leo enjoyed the view for a moment before shutting the door and walking up to grab the wiggling appendage and run his finger along the underside of it. 

Mikey froze, and then with a shudder lifted his rear higher. Leo saw this as a sign that Mikey was finally ready to submit and knelt down on the floor behind him. As soon as Leo’s tail touched Mikey’s, Mikey snapped out of his trance and pulled away. “I’m not ready yet, Leo,” Mikey sat hard on the floor, tucking his tail. 

“I’m sorry,” Leo’s breathing was labored and his hand shook as he wiped it across his face. “But you’re killing me here, Mikey. I don’t understand how you’re not as wound up as I am.”

“I guess I’m just a little scared to, that’s all,” Mikey rubbed the back of his neck. “If we do it then there’s no going back and if this doesn’t work then it could damage our family.”

“Is that what it is?” Leo tried to hide his disappointment. “You’re unsure of your love for me.”

Mikey shook his head, “That’s not it. I know I love you.”

Leo stood up and processed what he was hearing. “Then you question my love for you.”

“I’m afraid that I’ll do something wrong and that you’ll no longer want to be with me,” Mikey confessed, standing up. 

Leo cupped Mikey’s face and pulled him down so that their foreheads touched. “I don’t believe that you are capable of doing anything that would make me want to leave you. That’s why I love you.”

“What if I lie to you?” Mikey whispered. 

“Why would you lie to me?” Leo whispered back. “What could you have done that you wouldn’t want me to know about it?”

Mikey pulled away and sat down on his bed. “I didn’t do anything. I was just asking hypothetically.”

“Okay,” Leo sat next to him. “It would depend on the lie. But again, I don’t think you are capable of the kind of lie that would make me leave. And besides, you can’t lie. You are incapable of keeping a secret for more than three seconds.”

Mikey chuckled, “I’m gonna get back to work gathering my stuff to put in your room. My ass is gonna be in the air often while I’m doing this do to the fact that most of my stuff is under other things. So if you don’t think you can control yourself I might just have to do this by myself.”

“I think that’s a good idea,” Leo stood and headed for the door. “I’m going to go take a long shower.”

Mikey stood there and watched as Leo opened the door. Leo could see the pain on Mikey’s face and the conflicting thoughts that filled his mind could be seen in his eyes. “Leo, wait,” Mikey blurted. “You don’t have to go.”

“Yeah, I kinda have to,” Leo blushed a little. “I have to go take care of something in the shower.”

Mikey laughed, “You don’t have to take care of it on your own.”

Leo tensed. “Don’t tease, Mikey. It’s taking all of my control for me to not throw you on that bed and take you.”

“I’m not offering sex,” Mikey blushed and sat back down on the bed. “But I’m willing to do other things to help relieve you of all that tension.”

Smiling, Leo closed the door.


	5. Chapter 5

Donny came out of his lab to find Mikey reading a book. He looked over Mikey’s shoulder to see what he was reading. “Is that one of the books on turtles I lent you two years ago?”

Surprised, Mikey looked up. “Yeah, sorry about not returning them to you.”

“What are you reading about?” Donny asked, sitting next to Mikey on the couch. 

“Mating,” Mikey answered. 

“Getting ready to take that next step with Leo,” Donny chuckled nervously. 

“I need to make sure I can answer all of Leo’s questions.” Mikey continued to look down at the book, his voice breaking a little as he spoke. “Did you know that females can store the male’s sperm for years? So even if they don’t mate, when they go into season they will still have a fertile clutch.”

“That is an interesting fact,” Donny shook his head slightly. “I don’t understand why you are upset, though. It has nothing to do with us. Is Leo quizzing you on turtles?”

Before Mikey had a chance to say answer, Raph came running out of the dojo. “I did a back flip.”

“That’s great!” Donny stood and walked over to him. 

“He had a little help,” Leo said, smiling as he followed Raph out of the dojo. “But he was fearless and determined to do it.”

“I’m proud of you,” Donny caressed Raph’s cheek. “Now you need a bath, you’re all sweaty.”

“Okay,” Raph turned and ran towards the bathroom. 

“I’ll do it,” Leo offered, motioning for Donnie to sit back down. “I need to spend more quality time with him and get used to the idea of having a kid around. And besides, we’ve been doing better lately.”

“Okay,” Donny smiled and sat back down on the sofa, next to Mikey.

When Leo reached the bathroom, he found Raph removing his gear. “I don’t want you to touch my booboo,” Raph stated as he entered the tub. Leo chuckled. The ‘booboo’ Raph was talking about was a little scrape on his knee that he got earlier that week when he tripped and fell. The fuss he caused over it was almost comical if it weren’t so annoying. 

“I won’t touch it,” Leo reassured him. He turned on the water then turned for a moment to collect Raph’s gear from the floor and when he turned back around he saw Raph standing in front of the faucet with his tail pulled forward so that the water hit it. “What are you doing?”

Raph looked up for a moment, “It tickles,” and then he looked back down at his tail. His eyes had a glazed over look to them and he let out a little squeak before giggling.

Leo was about to reach out to stop Raph when Splinter’s chuckle had him turning to the door. “You did that too, Leonardo, when you were his age, as did Donatello. Oddly, only Michelangelo did not.”

“I don’t remember doing that,” Leo collected the remainder of Raph’s gear as a slight blush spread across his beak. Then he thought to himself how fitting it was that Mikey was the one to never do it. Leo was beginning to feel like they were never going to take that next step. The oral stimulation he has been receiving was nice but he still wanted more and Mikey was not even letting Leo anywhere near his tail. 

“Self-exploration is a natural part of a child development.” Splinter laughed again and then pointed to Raph. “He’s already finished.”

Leo looked over to see Raph sitting in the water, playing with the few toys they were able to find for him. Leo noticed that Raph kept his knee bent and up, out of the water. “Big baby,” Leo chuckled to himself, sitting down on a nearby chair.

They sat in silence as Leo let Raph play for a while. Raph brought the toy in his hand down hard in the water and splashed himself in the face. He dropped the toy and put his hands up. “I need a towel.”

“Why?” Leo chuckled. “Just wipe it off with your hands.”

“It’s in my eyes,” Raph whined placing his hands over his face. “Give me a towel.”

Leo looked at Splinter. “Is he serious?”

Holding out a towel for Raph, Splinter smiled. “You all did it.”

“He’s a turtle,” Leo sighed. “Water shouldn’t bother him.”

“Children are particular,” Splinter waited for Raph to finish wiping his face then placed the towel over the back of the chair while Raph went back to playing. “You each had your own quirks and eccentricities. Michelangelo had a thing for dolls. Donatello got excited over receiving a new book, it didn’t matter what the subject was. Raphael tended to complain a lot, especially when he didn’t get his way. And you were focused and a little bossy.”

Leo flushed a little. “The others didn’t take their training serious enough.”

“I had always known that you would lead them and I am proud of you.” Splinter placed his hand on Leo’s shoulder. 

“Thank you, father.” Leo reached over for the body wash as he got down off the chair.

….

Donny watched while Mikey read through the books in front of him. The last time he was so focused in on them was two years ago, after they had returned from the Nexus. 

The Turtles had entered the tournament for the second time and Mikey was the first to be eliminated. Feeling a little upset about his failure, Mikey set out on his own. Donny was the second one to be eliminated and found Mikey talking to a small group of Kame. 

The Kame were laughing but Mikey looked distraught. When Donny ran up to them, Mikey grabbed him and led him away. Donny tried to ask what was going on, but Mikey kept changing the subject as he pulled Don further from the Kame. It was when they got back home that Mikey asked to borrow all the books Donny had on turtles, saying that he felt it was time he learned about them since he was one. 

“Is that what those Kame were laughing about?” Donny asked, handing the books over. “You didn’t know much about turtles?”

“More or less,” Mikey answered before taking the books and running up to his room. 

Mikey was withdrawn for a week after that, stating random turtle facts as he sat curled up in a chair. After a while, Mikey returned to his normal, jovial self but it seemed that whatever had been bothering him before was back. 

“Do you have any questions for me, Mikey?” Donny placed a hand on Mikey’s shoulder. “I know a lot more about turtles than what’s in those books and I’ve studied how we are different from them.”

“No.” Mikey stared blankly down at the open book. “I think I know all that I need to know, for now.”

“I don’t understand why you are so upset.” Donny fussed over Mikey. He caressed Mikey’s cheek then brought him in for a tight hug. “I hate seeing you like this. Let me help you.”

“You touched it!” Raph’s scream came from the bathroom, causing Don and Mikey to jump up off the sofa. 

“We need to keep it clean or it will get infected,” Leo shouted back. 

“Don’t touch me,” Raph voice took on a high pitch that his adult self would never have been capable of. “Donny!”

“Gotta go,” Donny started in the direction of the bathroom then turned back to Mikey. “I’m here if you wanna talk, you know that right?”

“Yeah,” Mikey nodded. “I’m okay. Go save Raph from Leo.”

Donny rushed towards the bathroom and got there just as Raph ran out. His water slicked feet hit the smooth surface of the floor and he slipped, landing hard and smacking his head on the ground. That set off a new flood of tears as he lay there crying. 

Donny rushed over and scooped him up. “Let me see. I’ll take care of it, don’t worry.” He cooed to Raph as he took him into his lab and shut the door. 

“I can’t believe how bad I am at handling him. It’s a good thing we can’t have kids.” Leo looked at Mikey, and noticed the distraught look on his face. “You doing okay? You look a little pale.”

“I’m fine.” Mikey closed the book in his hands and got up then turned and headed towards the kitchen. “I’m gonna start on lunch.” He stopped about half way and turned to look at Leo. “After lunch, I wanna talk about something.”

“Okay,” Leo nodded. “Remember that you promised Raph that he could help,” Leo reminded him. “I don’t want to hear the fit he would throw if he came out of Don’s lab to find that you made it without him.”

“I know,” Mikey managed a laugh then went into Donny’s lab to get Raph. 

After a few minutes, Raph stood on a chair and helped Mikey make lunch. “I wanna do it,” was a common phrase out of Raph’s mouth while he helped Mikey. Leo had to laugh at the sight of Raph. He had a bandage on his knee and another on his head. 

Leo had turned on the television to watch the news while he waited for Mikey to finish making lunch. It was the anniversary of when the Demon Shredder attacked and the news was covering a memorial for the lives lost in the devastation. 

It was strange for him to see the armature videos of himself in his dragon form and hearing the theories over how it was all possible. 

Leo was glad that it was over and that their lives settled down afterwards. 

He looked over his shoulder at Raph. His being turned into a kid again was the first thing to happen to them since then, outside of fighting in the Nexus. That wasn’t a time of triumph for the Hamato clan. Mikey and Donny were eliminated early on then Raph and Leo were knocked out in the finals. The champion that year was a creature that looked like a Pokémon. Leo still didn’t fully understand how something so small could have bested him. 

The news switched over to the weather and the storm that was on its way. A tropical depression made its way north and was expected to hit landfall in a matter of days. Some of the forecasts had the storm at a level one hurricane and the people of New York and across New England were starting to panic. Casey and April were planning to stop by later that day to drop off extra supplies for the Turtles, just in case. 

Raph ran over and plopped down next to Leo on the sofa. “I thought you were helping Mikey,” Leo looked down at Raph. 

“I’m done,” Raph replied, watching the television. “Can we turn on cartoons?”

“Sure,” Leo changed the channel to one of the preschool channels. Raph laughed as he watched the costumed people dance and sing about trying new foods and liking it.

They were soon joined by Splinter, who happily draped his arm over Raph as the small turtle leaned into him for a snuggle. They watch television for about ten minutes before Bishop entered the lair and looked around the room. “Where is Donatello? He is behind on some reports and I want to know why.” His eyes fell on Raph and he pointed at the young turtle. “How did this happen? I took steps to make sure this never happened.”

“What do you mean you took steps to make sure this never happened?” Donny emerged from his lab and glared at Bishop. “What did you do? Do you know how much we’ve been through? I should have guessed that you had something to do with it.”

“I made sure Michelangelo was infertile,” Bishop shot back. “I’m not sure how that could have caused you any problems.”

There was a loud crash from the kitchen when Mikey dropped a pan. “What?” he turned to face Bishop. “You did what to me?”

“I made sure that you couldn’t breed,” Bishop stated slowly. “But judging by the age of this one, he could have existed before that. And his coloring makes him look like he belongs to Raphael. How could I not have known about him?”

“I’m confused.” Donny stepped forward. “Why did you neuter Mikey and what does that have to do with preventing Raph from being turned into a kid?”

Bishop looked at Donny and pointed to Raph. “That is Raphael?”

“Yes. He’s been exposed to temporal magic somehow and was turned into a child.” Donny squinted as he looked at Bishop then asked slowly. “What did you think? That he was our kid? How would that even be possible? We’re all male.”

Bishop laughed, “You still don’t know.” He turned to look at Mikey. “You at least have to know, right?”

“How long have you known?” Mikey asked, tears streaking down his cheeks. “Why didn’t you say anything, if you knew?”

“I found out back when I did the surgery, when I first captured you,” Bishop stated. “I never said anything because it was never relevant.” 

“What is he talking about?” Donny looked between Bishop and Mikey. “What does he know and why did he perform surgery on you Mikey?”

“Shall I tell them or do you think you should?” Bishop continued to look at Mikey who sat down hard on the floor. 

“Tell us what?” Splinter stood from the sofa and looked at Michelangelo. “My son, are you alright.”

Bishop laughed, “How could none of you know?” He turned to Splinter. “You raised Michelangelo and you had no clue that ‘he’ is actually a ‘she’? Are you all idiots?” He turned to Donny. “I was under the impression that you were a genius.”

“What?” Leo’s heart sank.

“Michelangelo is female,” Bishop stated slowly. 

Leo looked over at Mikey, who was sitting on the floor, looking at him through a flood of tears. Leo felt like he had just been punched in the chest and if anything else was said, he didn’t hear it. 

Mikey had lied to him. It wasn’t some small lie, like breaking something and hiding it or saying that he did is lessons when he really just played games. This was an all-out deception. Mikey didn’t trust Leo enough to tell him the truth and in the process also shattered Leo’s trust in Mikey. 

It hurt to breathe. 

Then something snapped inside of Leo and he rushed to Mikey. Bishop had to be the one lying, Mikey wouldn’t lie. Mikey was incapable of keeping secrets; he always looked guilty when he was. When Leo reached Mikey, he pushed him back on to his carapace then pulled down his tail. 

Leo had never really gotten the chance to look at Mikey’s tail and for the first time he noticed how high up the cloaca was. He had always noticed how slender it was compared to the others’, but he never thought anything of it before.

Still unable to believe it Leo stuck his finger inside of Mikey’s tail and Mikey’s pleas for him to stop fell on deaf ears. Mikey gripped Leo’s wrist with both hands as Leo searched, probing his finger inside Mikey’s tail but he did not find what he was looking for. 

Raph rushed over and jumped on Leo, biting his arm on the bicep. “You’re hurting him,” Raph screamed through clinched teeth. 

Leo reeled in pain and flung Raph to the floor then stood and backed away. He looked over and saw Donny having a panic attack while Splinter and Bishop looked on in shock. Raph lay on the ground, crying with blood on his lips. Leo looked down at his arm to see that Raph had broken the skin and blood was streaming down to his hand. 

“Leo,” Mikey sobbed but Leo couldn’t look at him. No ‘her’. Mikey was a ‘her’. Leo cried out in pain and frustration then turned to run up to his room with Mikey calling out to him as he ran. “Please don’t leave me.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First, two flashback scenes then, the aftermath of the fight. I’m going to keep using ‘he’ and ‘him’ for Mikey because that’s what he wants.

Bishop checked to make sure that the sedative was continuing to have its desired affects before turning to the latest readouts. “This one’s ready,” one of the doctors announced, drawing Bishop’s attention away from the files in his hands. 

Bishop walked over to Leonardo, “Can you hear me?”

“Yes,” Leo answered in a whisper. The drugs had him awake enough to answer some questions but not to the point that he would remember. 

Bishop asked a series of questions, including the names of all four Turtles and where they came from. Each answer correlated with the information he had received earlier from Leatherhead. Satisfied with what he got out of Leo, Bishop nodded to the doctor to continue his research. Blood was drawn from each of the Turtles and they went through several scanning devices. 

“Sir,” another doctor rushed up to Bishop. “According to this readout, the one called Michelangelo is actually a female.”

Bishop took the file from the doctor and looked it over. “Interesting,” Bishop adjusted his glasses. “Leonardo called Michelangelo his brother and Leatherhead referred to Michelangelo as ‘he’.” Bishop looked Michelangelo over. “On the surface, this one looks no different from the others. It leads me to wonder if they even know.”

He handed the file back to the doctor. “Make sure the female is rendered infertile. We don’t want them to suddenly discover that their brother is really their sister and start to procreate.”

“Yes, Sir,” the doctor saluted and then rushed off to fulfill his orders. 

“And make sure it is done in a way that doesn’t leave room for suspicion,” Bishop called after the doctor in an afterthought. He turned to a nearby soldier. “Is everything else in order?”

“Yes, Sir. We disabled the scramblers so that their tracking devises could get through. Our scans show that there are others on their way to rescue them now. The ‘exam’ room is also staged and soldiers are on standby.” Bishop nodded his approval as the soldier gave his report. Once his research was done, Bishop intended to let the Turtles go but he didn’t want to appear soft so he had to stage a way for them to ‘escape’. 

“Is Leatherhead in place?” Bishop asked. Bishop hoped to get more information out of the Turtles than he could get from Leatherhead. He was not disappointed. “I’m done with him and the tracking device I’ve implanted will be useful in the future.” He looked at Mikey, “I wonder what will happen if I make the female the focus of my aggressions.”

He had scanned the robot and his technicians had learned a lot from the advanced technology, putting his research ahead by at least ten years. He had communicated with the Federation and had arranged for them to pick the robot up. He had a feeling that the Turtles would fight for their friend and maybe even be able to get rid of the invaders. 

As soon as the doctors were through, Bishop’s men carted the Turtles into the false exam room so that the show could begin. Once they were free Bishop made sure he had secured all that he needed and left. 

………..

Michelangelo was bummed. He was the Nexus champion and he was knocked out in the second round this time. It was all because of the changes his body was going through; it threw off his balance and made his joints ache. Why did it have to happen the year of the Nexus tournament?

He made his way through town, sulking as he walked. He wasn’t really paying attention to his surroundings and was startled when a Kame spoke, “Hey there.”

Mikey jumped a little but managed to hold back his scream. “Hi.”

“I didn’t mean to frighten you,” the Kame smiled. “I noticed you and just had to come say ‘hi’.”

“Well, you did,” Mikey smiled. “I guess you recognized me from my statue and wanted to meet a Nexus champion. I decided this year to let my brothers have a chance at winning so I threw the fight.”

“You’re a Nexus champion?” the Kame looked Mikey over. “That’s impressive.”

“Yep,” Mikey beamed. “I’m a ninja master.”

They were soon joined by other Kame and the first one looked around at his friends. “Not only is this one beautiful, but also strong. I told you I have a good eye for a mate.”

“Wait,” Mikey’s eyes widened and he backed up. “A mate?”

“Yes,” the Kame smiled at Mikey. “I can tell by looking at you that you would give me strong children.”

“How can I give you children when we’re both dudes?” Mikey was starting to feel uncomfortable. “Never mind the fact that I live in a different dimension than you and plan on going back to it once the tournament is over.”

“What is a ‘dude’?” one of the other Kame asked.

“Dude is what I call other guys; other males,” Mikey explained, feeling a little foolish. “It’s just something I do.”

“What?” the first Kame’s face split in a wide grin. “You think you’re a male?” The Kame chuckled and his friends joined in. 

Mikey looked around at them all, “Well, yeah. Look at me. I don’t look any different from you.”

The Kame all burst aloud with laughter. The first one managed to get himself under control long enough to speak. “How can you be so stupid?” Mikey’s heart sank as the Kame continued to laugh. “I guess I was wrong about you making an ideal mate. I don’t want my children to lack sense enough to know whether they are male or female.”

“I’m not female. My voice is too gruff,” Mikey choked out. “Why do you guys think I’m a girl?”

This only incited more laughter among the Kame and Mikey was finding it hard to breathe. 

“Mikey?” Donny called out to him and Mikey turned to see Donatello running towards them. 

Mikey ran to his brother, grabbing his hand and led him away before the Kame could say anything more. The last thing Mikey wanted was for Donny to join in the laughter. 

“What’s going on?” Donny asked as Mikey dragged him away. “Why do you look like you’re on the verge of tears? Did those Kame say something to upset you?”

“It’s nothing,” Mikey tried to brush it off and changed the subject. “They’re giving me a hard time about being eliminated so early this time. So you were eliminated from the fight?”

“Yeah,” Donny answered with a sigh. “Raph and Leo are still in though.”

“Let’s go watch them fight.” Mikey pulled Donny in the direction of the stadium.

When they got back home, Mikey asked Donny for books on turtles and read them all, cover to cover. He stood in front of a full body mirror and looked at himself while reading off the differences between male and female turtles. First was eye color, which had been changed by their mutation; turtles don’t normally have blue eyes. Second was the length of the fingernails, which they kept cut. 

Mikey continued down the list. Males have an indention in their plastron for when they mount females. The mutation had made their plastrons softer so none of their plastrons had indentions. Next on the list was the length and width of the tail. Males’ were shorter and thicker while females’ were thinner and longer. Mikey and his brothers kept their tails tucked most of the time so there was no way to compare them. 

Females tended to be bigger than males. Mikey had grown taller than the others. 

The final thing was the cloaca and where it was along the tail. Males’ were located closer to the middle while females were located at the base. Mikey un-tucked his tail and looked for his cloaca. He found it high on his tail. “The mutation must have moved it higher,” he told himself. “I’m not a girl.”

His eyes filled with tears as he sank to the floor, looking at his tail. “I’m not a girl.”

 

…..

 

“Leo!” Splinter watched as Mikey got up off the floor and chased after Leo. There was panic in Mikey’s cries as he ran up the stairs. “Please don’t leave me.”

“I did not expect Leonardo to react in such a way,” Bishop stood in shock. “Why would he act like that? And why does Donatello look like he’s having a nervous breakdown?” Bishop moved towards Donny but Splinter held him back.

Splinter’s eyes slowly moved so that he was looking up at Bishop. “You can see yourself out.”

“Let me help,” Bishop offered but Splinter held up his hand, silencing him before walking over to collect Raphael off the floor. 

“You’ve done enough.” Splinter then walked over to Donatello and placed a calming hand on his shoulder. “You poked your fun and caused more damage than you had intended. You are the cause of their pain, you cannot help. Now leave.”

Bishop turned on his heel and left the lair without another word. 

Mikey’s sobs echoed through the lair and Splinter sat down next to Donny, unsure what to do. Romantic relationships were not something he knew anything about. 

No one said or did anything for a while and the only sound was that of Mikey crying. Raphael had cried himself to sleep in Splinter’s arms and Donny just sat on the floor, leaning against Splinter for comfort. 

April and Casey entered the lair, carrying boxes of supplies. “We’re here with your extra supplies.” They heard the sounds of Mikey’s cries and took in the dejected looks on Donny and Splinter’s faces. “What happened?” April put the box down and rushed over to Splinter. “Donny, are you okay? Why’s Mikey crying and where’s Leo?”

“It… is… complicated,” Splinter answered and April sat down next to Donny to offer him comfort. 

Casey placed his box down and looked around the kitchen. He noticed the food burning on the stove and shut it off. “Was Leo hurt?” Casey asked, fist looking down at the drops of blood on the floor then looking up towards the bedrooms. 

“In a way, yes,” Splinter answered in a whisper, “so has Michelangelo. I just hope that they can work through their pain and forgive each other.”

Mikey sat outside Leo’s bedroom door, leaning against the wall. He could hear Leo inside; his gentle sobs and grunts of frustration penetrating the door. 

It was too much for him; he needed to explain everything to Leo even if it was shouted through the door. “I’m sorry, Leo,” Mikey sobbed out. He knew that his voice echoed around the lair but he didn’t care. “I was gonna tell you after lunch today. I just wanted to make sure I knew enough to answer your questions. I know I should have told you sooner but I was scared.”

Mikey heard silence through the door and hoped that Leo was listening. His voice broke as he spoke. “I found out only two years ago. How stupid do I have to be that I didn’t know? But…, I was told that I was a boy and I believed it to be true. I was never really interested in sex and we were never really taught about it. I knew that turtle penises were in the tail so I figured that it was up there but that I never had any reason for it to come out.

“I didn’t want you guys to laugh at me like the Kame did, it hurt so much, so I figured it didn’t matter and just denied it; I didn’t want it to be true. I even started to forget about it. But, then you started to show interest in me.”

Mikey had to stop to get his breathing under control. He took several deep breaths and let them out slowly before he was able to continue. “I rejected you at first because I knew that if we started to date I would have to tell you and that meant that I would have to admit it to myself. But you were persistent and before I knew it I was falling for you and then the fear started to build inside me again.

“I didn’t know about what Bishop did to me. He knew I was a girl before I did, can you believe that…?

“I was afraid that if I told you then you wouldn’t want me because there would be no way to avoid having babies if we had sex. I mean condoms just won’t work on a turtle dick, it would just rip through, and I would have stored your sperm in my body anytime we did it.

“I was also afraid that you would be okay with it and we would have kids. I don’t want kids. I don’t want to bring a child into this kind of life. It wouldn’t be fair to them. And there would be so many; turtles lay so many eggs at a time.

He sat in silence again for a few minutes, listening for anything from Leo. “I don’t want to be a girl,” Mikey sobbed. “I’m sorry I lied… but I just… I couldn’t….” Mikey’s throat closed, cutting off anything else he wanted to say. He sat with his knees bent up and his arms crossed, resting on them. He looked down at his tail and cried. “I don’t blame you if you hate me now.”

The door to Leo’s room opened and Mikey looked up to see Leo standing there, looking down at him. His eyes were red and puffy from crying. “Did I hurt you?”

“I was more embarrassed and frightened than hurt,” Mikey answered truthfully. 

“I lost myself for a moment.” Leo stepped out of his room and dropped to his knees next to Mikey, “I don’t know what came over me.”

“Bishop has that effect on people,” Mikey quipped, trying to lighten the mood. “I’m not mad at you.”

“You’re too forgiving.” Leo covered his face with his hands as he fought back a new flood of tears. “I’m sorry, Mikey.” He sobbed for a while before he managed to regain control enough to look at Mikey. “I wouldn’t have laughed at you and I wouldn’t have left you. I love you, Mikey.”

Staying seated on the ground, Mikey scooted closer to Leo then pressed in for a hug. “I love you too, Leo.”

They held each other and Mikey felt a wave of relief wash over him. He held tight to Leo as he let his emotions work themselves out. “I don’t want to change my name,” he whimpered. “And I don’t want you guys to treat me any different or to start calling me your sister. I don’t want to be a girl.”

Leo’s arms tightened around Mikey, “Okay. Nothing will change, Mikey.”

“Thank you,” Mikey buried his face on Leo’s plastron.

After a while, Leo pulled away from Mikey and stood up. “I’ll be back.” He made his way downstairs and across to where Splinter was sitting with Donny and Raph. He fell to his knees then bowed with his face to the floor. “I’m sorry for the way I acted, Father.”

“Shock can cause us to do things that we normally would not.” Splinter placed a hand on Leo’s shoulder.

Leo sat up and reached out for Donny but Donny pulled away. “Donny, I’m sorry.” Leo moved closer. 

Donny got up and moved away from him, hesitated for a moment, then ran to his lab and April followed him. “Donny, wait,” April called out as she chased him. 

“Donny will never be able to look at me the same way again.” Leo fought back the urge to cry. 

“His wounds are still fresh.” Splinter placed a soothing hand on Leo’s shoulder. “Give him time.” Splinter then pointed to the wound on Leo’s arm. “You should have that taken care of so it doesn’t get infected.”

Leo looked down at the broken skin on his arm where Raph had bitten him. The blood had stopped but the flesh was starting to swell. He looked at Raph, resting in Splinter’s arms. “Is he okay?”

“He’ll be fine,” Splinter nodded. 

Mikey came downstairs. “I’ll take care of your wound, Leo.” He turned and entered the kitchen then started to look for the first aid kit. 

Casey came up next to him and placed a hand on Mikey’s shoulder. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Mikey nodded. “I feel a little better now that the truth is out. I just wish it was on my terms.”

“I wouldn’t have laughed at you either,” Casey’s soft smile warmed Mikey enough to have him smiling too. “I mean, I’ve know you for five years now and I had no clue that you were a chick.”

“Thank you, for understanding.” Mikey shoved Casey playfully. “Don’t call me a chick.” Casey laughed and Mikey found the kit then nodded slightly to Casey. “Excuse me.”

“Of course.” Casey stepped out of the way. “I swear; that chick jab is the only joke I’ll do.”

“Sure it is,” Mikey smiled as he walked past.

 

…..

Donny was lying, curled up on his cot, staring at nothing. April made sure that the door was closed behind her before she made her way over to lie down next to him. He let her pull him into her arms and curl around him. 

She didn’t say a word, only offered her silent comfort but the silence was not something Donny wanted. “How could he do that?” Donny whispered. “Leo clamed to love Mikey but he attacked him is such an intimate way. As I watch it happen, everything that K.C. did to me flashed in my mind and I started to panic.”

“I wasn’t here to see it but I’m sure Leo never wanted to hurt Mikey,” April kept her tone even and her voice soft. She wanted to know what had happened but didn’t want to make Donny relive whatever it was that had him upset.

“Leo was so angry. He’s usually in better control than that,” Donny told her. “Bishop didn’t break the news that Mikey is a female delicately and Leo lost it.”

“Mikey’s a girl.” April tried to wrap her mind around that. “And none of you knew or even suspected it?”

Donny shook his head. “I never looked at Mikey’s tail; for the most part we keep them tucked. He doesn’t look feminine in any way. It must have been devastating for him to learn about it the way he did. I saw the look on his face when the Kame in the Nexus were laughing at him.” 

Donny chuckled softly. “Even now that I know, I can’t call Mikey ‘her’. I can’t think of him as female.”

“There is no reason for us to,” April said with an air of certainty. “Mikey doesn’t identify with being a girl so we will respect his wishes in this and continue as if he were male. The only one who is going to see anything that would contradict that is Leo. The rest of us… it will be something we know in the back of our minds but do not acknowledge.”

“When Leo came towards me, I saw K.C.” Donnie confessed. “What if that doesn’t go away?”

“You are in shock right now, Donny.” April shifted so that they were looking at each other. “I’m sure that once you start to think clearly again, you will be able to sort out that Leo is nothing like K.C. and would never hurt you, or anyone, like that.”

“Will you stay for a while?” Donny pleaded, wrapping his arms around April. “I don’t want to be alone right now…, or around anyone who is male.”

“As long as you need me.” April kissed the top of Donny’s head and settled in.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Again, keeping Mikey with the title of “he” because that is what he wants. 
> 
> The storm makes its way to New York and the Turtles prepare of it as best they can.

By the time Donny came out of his lab with April, Raph was sitting in front of the television eating a bowl of cereal while Leo helped Mikey clean the kitchen. April walked over to help Casey and Splinter put the supplies away. “Do you think you guys are ready for the storm?” she asked as she shelved supplies. “The weather man said that it’s a possibility that it will drop down to a tropical storm but it’s still gonna be rough.”

“I’m doing all I can,” Donny nodded. “It’s the reason I fell further behind on my work for Bishop than I already was.”

At the mentioning of Bishop’s name, Leo slammed a cup down on the counter causing Donny to jump. 

Donny looked over at Leo and for a moment their eyes locked but Donny turned away. Leo glanced over at Mikey and whispered, “He’s never going to be able to trust me again.”

“Give him time,” Mikey whispered back, placing a plate in the drying rack. “It would help if you could control your temper a little bit better. It’s like you’re making up for Raph.”

“I’m sorry,” Leo whispered back a little harsher than intended. “I’ve been under a lot of stress lately. You’re not the only one going through hormonal changes.”

“Maybe it’s because of me that you’re like this,” Mikey suggested with a blush. Leo glanced at Mikey but didn’t say anything so Mikey continued. “Maybe you’re reacting to me being your mate and becoming more aggressive because instinct. You’re just and alpha wanting to make sure he’s the only one who can mate with me.” 

“I have found myself possessive over you lately,” Leo admitted. “I just haven’t said anything about it. I thought it was simply sexual frustrations.”

Raph got up and looked over the back of the sofa. “Donny look.” He pointed back to the television. There was a commercial on with a cartoon mouse, inviting children for pizza and games. “I wanna go there.”

Donny sighed, “I’m sorry Raph we can’t go; we have to stay hidden.”

“Why?” Raph’s face dropped. 

“Because it’s not safe if anyone sees us,” Donny explained. “Only a few humans know about us, the rest would be scared and try to hurt us.”

“That’s not fair,” Raph yelled. “I wanna go.”

Donny looked to Splinter for help. “How did you handle things like this?”

“We didn’t have a television when you were five,” Splinter answered. “I never had to deal with this.”

“Maybe April and I can take him,” Casey offered and April nodded. “We can say that he’s our kid and that he refuses to take the turtle costume off.”

Raph looked at Casey and then back to Donny with pleading eyes.

Donny considered for a moment and then nodded his head. “If it’s still standing after the storm, Cas… uh… Jones and April can take you. But you will have to wear a zipper on your plastron and listen to everything they tell you.”

“I promise,” Raph smiled then turned back to the television and it wasn’t long before he was laughing at the antics of some poorly drawn cartoon.

Casey and April said their goodbyes and headed home. They had their own preparations to make before the storm made landfall. Leo was grateful that they braved the masses of people to get them the supplies they needed. Who knew how much damage the storm would cause or how long it would be before they could get back out to restock.

As the day progressed, Donny continued his work on securing the lair against the storm while Leo and Mikey kept Raph busy and out of the way. Donny passively avoided Leo and after a while Leo stopped trying to approach him. 

By nightfall, Leo sat sulking on the sofa next to Mikey and Raph while they played video games. Raph was moving around more than usual and it wasn’t long before it drew Leo’s attention. “Raph, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Raph grunted while he danced in his seat. 

Mikey looked down at him. “Do you have to go to the bathroom, little dude? You know we can pause the game.”

“I’m okay,” Raph insisted and continued to play. 

“Why don’t we take a break.” Mikey paused the game. 

“No,” Raph whined. “I wanna…,” he paused and put the controller down. “I have to go.” He got up off the sofa and rushed towards the bathroom. He didn’t make it far before he stopped and looked down at his feet. “Ah oh.”

Leo got up from the sofa and yelled, “Did you just pee on the floor?”

Raph looked back at Leo with fear in his eyes before he bolted away towards the bathroom, leaving a trail behind him. Leo was about to go after him when Mikey stopped him. “You’re scaring him, Leo.”

“He just peed on the floor,” Leo growled. “Why did he wait so long?”

“I’m sorry,” Raph yelled from the bathroom. “Please don’t do anything to my tail.”

The words struck Leo and he had to sit down. “Oh God.”

“I’ll go help clean him up.” Mikey leaned in and kissed Leo before sprinting off towards the bathroom. “It’s okay, Leo,” he called out over his shoulder. “Everything’s gonna be okay.”

Leo hated that two of his brothers were frightened of him all because he had lost his temper. He fought back tears as he stood to get what he needed to clean the puddle Raph left on the floor. He could hear the gentle sounds of Raph and Mikey’s conversation coming through the bathroom door but he couldn’t hear what was being said. 

With a heavy heart, Leo cleaned the mess then washed his hands before sitting back down on the sofa. He struggled with is emotions, taking deep breaths to fight back the urge to cry with his head in his hands. 

“It’s been a rough day,” Donny sat down next to Leo with a good two feet between them on the sofa. 

Leo was afraid to look up; he didn’t want Donny to look in his eyes and decide to leave. So he just nodded in agreement. 

“I’m okay, Leo. I was just a little shook up,” Donny’s hands twisted in his lap and Leo could sense the tension still in Donny. “You don’t have to stay away from me.”

“If you’re not ready,” Leo glanced over at Donny, “you don’t have to force yourself to be near me. I understand.”

“I know you’re nothing like K.C,” Donny choked back tears. “I know you won’t do anything like that to me or Mikey. I’m just nervous around other males right now and this was before… what you did to Mikey.”

“I just made it worse.” Leo continued to look at the ground. “I’m so sorry.”

Donny placed a shaking hand on Leo’s shoulder. “We’ve been through so much and we’re gonna make it through this. We just have to give it time.”

“I’ll give you all the time you need, Donny.” Leo refused to look over at his brother. “You can train separately with Mikey. I’ll train alone with Splinter.”

“Thank you, Leo,” Donny gave Leo’s shoulder one last squeeze before he stood. “I need to get back to work. The storm isn’t going to wait for me to finish.”

“No, it’s not,” Leo sighed as Donny left. 

 

…….

 

Leo was lying in bed listening to the heavy winds that heralded the impending storm. They had done all they could to prepare and all that was left to do was wait to see if it would be enough.

Mikey entered the room, slightly out of breath. “That boy has boundless energy. He is no longer allowed to nap during the day.”

“Is he finally settled in for the night?” Leo watched as Mikey removed his gear. 

“Donny has him now,” Mikey answered. “He got mad at me for not playing the way he wanted so I was dismissed.” He laughed while slipping into the bed next to Leo. 

They nuzzled together and Leo pressed his beak into the nape of Mikey’s neck, “Mikey, I’m…”

Mikey shushed him and kissed his head. “We’re past that now.” He shifted so that he was looking Leo in the eyes. “I love you so much and I have already forgiven you for the way you acted. And I swear that I will never lie to you like that again.”

“I love you too.” Leo let Mikey pull him into a gentle kiss but he couldn’t hide his sorrow. His heart was heavy from the day’s events.

Mikey’s kisses were tender and loving as he tried to soothe Leo. The longer they kissed the more of Leo’s tension faded away and he lost himself in the moment. The tenderness faded into passion and the kisses deepened, lasting longer. 

As they kissed, Mikey’s hands drifted down Leo’s carapace and tweaked Leo’s tail. When Leo pulled away from him with a look of surprise, Mikey giggled. “You know, I’m not afraid to have sex anymore and I hear it’s a good stress reliever.” He trailed his finger up Leo’s arm and looked lovingly into his eyes. 

Leo looked at Mikey for a moment more before pushing in for a heated kiss, rolling Mikey onto his carapace. Their tails rubbed together as they continued to kiss and for the first time Leo could feel the desire he felt returned in Mikey’s kiss.

This only excited Leo more and he felt the heat of his arousal pool in his groin. Mikey was equally aroused and his tail dripped with a slick fluid. The scent of it hit Leo, eliciting a churr and arousing him further. 

“Let me flip over,” Mikey requested, breaking the kiss. 

“Why?” Leo panted, not wanting to pull his tail off of Mikey’s

Mikey shrugged, “This doesn’t feel natural this way.”

“Okay,” Leo lifted himself up so that Mikey could flip onto his plastron. Mikey then raised his rear and lifted his tail as he ground his ass against Leo. Leo churred, the pressure in his tail building as pre-cum and natural lube dripped from his cloaca. “Do I need to do any prep work?” Leo slid his finger over Mikey’s cloaca, feeling the ample fluids seeping from the slit. “Do I need to stretch you at all?”

“I’ve never seen a male turtle prep his intended mate before,” Mikey answered with a giggle; the fact that Mikey worded it to avoid the word female was not lost on Leo. “Turtles are self-lubricating so it should be okay. If it hurts too much, I’ll let you know.”

Leo let his penis slip free of his tail and he felt his tip flare. He guided himself with his hand to Mikey’s cloaca and gently pushed inside. When he pulled his hand away it was covered in their combined juices. 

Fighting the urge to thrust in, Leo took his time rocking his hips back and forth to slowly penetrate deeper. Mikey stayed still, taking slow deep breaths while Leo churred with each thrust. 

Leo’s mind fogged as he pushed deeper in to Mikey’s velvety warmth. Everything felt right and when he was fully sheathed, Mikey’s body opened up so that his tip could fully open. He tried to pull out to slowly press back in but his flared tip remained stiffly open, preventing him from pulling out. “I didn’t know that would happen.”

“It’s to keep the female from bucking the male off,” Mikey mumbled, keeping his face buried in the pillow.

Both of Leo’s hands were on either side of Mikey, gripping the sheets as he ground up against him.

One of Mikey’s hands reached back, searching for Leo’s then held tight as he let out a deep moan. 

“You okay, Mikey?” Leo kissed the back of Mikey’s head. “Am I hurting you?”

“No,” Mikey gasped out. “Just the opposite.”

“Oh really.” With a smile on his face Leo increased his pacing, eliciting a gasping moan from Mikey. 

A churr sounded with nearly every breath and Leo felt himself expand further into Mikey as his impending orgasm neared. He held it back and bit his bottom lip, wanting Mikey to enjoy their first time. 

Mikey was biting the pillow to hold back his cries of ecstasy and pushed back against Leo. His inner walls tensed around Leo’s cock, staggering him in his movements and making it harder for him to hold back the pressure that built inside. He buried his face on the back of Mikey’s neck while he forced himself to keep moving. 

With a sharp intake of breath that ended with Mikey yelling, “Oh God,” into the pillow, Mikey’s body shook and pulsated with his orgasm. Leo couldn’t hold back any longer and lost himself inside of Mikey, pounding out his climax and instinctively pushing up to go as deep as he could. 

Their bodies pulsated against each other and Leo just sat there and enjoyed the feeling of the afterglow. Mikey’s hand was still gripping Leo’s, their sweat slicked fingers interlocked together. “Wow,” Mikey breathed.

“Yeah,” Leo lightly chuckled. “That was good.”

“We’re gonna need to do that more often.” Breathless, Mikey looked back at Leo with gleaming eyes. “That was just… wow.”

Leo pulled out then flopped down next to Mikey, who turned so that they were facing each other. They moved in and pressed together in a kiss, riding out the high from the orgasm. “I needed that,” Leo admitted. 

“I know,” Mikey caressed Leo’s cheek. “Feel better?”

“A little,” Leo smiled. “I’m also starting to feel tired.”

“Me too,” Mikey giggled. “My whole body is relaxed. This worked better than meditation and it was a lot more fun too.”

“I’m so lucky to have you,” Leo pulled Mikey close.

Giggling, Mikey nuzzled in close, “Yeah you are.”

That night, Leo slept with Mikey in his arms as the first wave of the storm reached over New York. The steady, gentle rain helped to soothe his troubled mind as he fell asleep. 

When he woke, the rain was much harder and the thunder rumbled overhead. “I thought we had another day,” he mumbled, rolling over. 

“I’ll go turn on the news,” Mikey groaned as he got out of bed. He walked over to turn on the light but when he flipped the switch, nothing happened. “This is usually how I know I’m dreaming and I wake up right as the monster jumps out at me.”

Leo sat up in bed. “Power must be out.”

“I’ll go see if Donny knows more.” Mikey opened the door and stepped out. His scream had Leo jumping out of bed and rushing to see what was happening. “Donny, you nearly scared me out of my shell,” Mikey complained and Leo screeched to a halt. The last thing he wanted was to startle Donny. 

“Sorry.” Donny held out an extra flashlight. “I noticed the power was out and brought you and Leo a light. I was about to knock when you opened the door.”

“Thanks,” Mikey took the flashlight and turned it on. “Why’d we lose power?”

“The last I heard on the radio was that the storm had picked up strength and is now a category two,” Donny explained. “I would imagine that the power is out all over the city.”

“Are we gonna be okay?” Mikey’s voice trembled a little. Never in their life had they experienced a storm of this magnitude. They had heard stories of how devastating they have been to cities in the south and those places were prepared for such storms. This kind of storm just didn’t normally happen in New York. 

“I think so,” Donny didn’t sound sure. 

A loud boom of thunder had them jumping. “Where’s Raph?” Leo asked without coming to the door. 

“He’s with Splinter,” Donny answered. “Raph’s scared of the thunder.”

Another boom of thunder had Mikey looking up, “So am I.”

“Come on,” Donny stepped back and turned. “Let’s get to our shelter and hope that the water doesn’t rise too much in the reservoir.”

Mikey and Leo followed Donny down to where Splinter sat cradling a crying Raph. 

The winds picked up with each passing minute and shook the walls. Thunder rumbled overhead and it sounded like debris was slamming against the walls in increasing numbers.

“Donny,” Raph whimpered and moved to sit in Don’s lap. 

Donatello wrapped his arms around Raph and kissed his head. “We’ll be okay.”

Almost as soon as the words left his lips there were several loud bags from deep within the station followed by the sound of rushing water. It didn’t take long for the water to reach where they were sitting and they moved to avoid the rushing currents. 

Mikey and Leo assisted Splinter while Donny held on to Raph. They made their way through the waist deep water that seemed to pull on them from every direction. The structure was not holding up well to the strong winds and part of the roof was soon stripped away. 

The torrent of wind and water deafened them to their own voices but Donny could tell that Raph was crying. He did his best to soothe Raph as he moved in an attempt to get to a more secure location. 

Donny was shocked at how quickly the waters were rising and struggled just to keep his footing. Raph held on tight but some debris from the damaged roof dropped down on them, striking Don’s shoulder and they lost their grip. 

Raph was pulled away by the current. Donny stopped fighting and let the current pull him after his flailing brother.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first part may be very sad for some but just keep reading, it gets better.

Donny fought to keep his head above water and there were times when he was pulled under for so long that he thought he would drown. When he was able to keep his head above water, he searched for Raph but in the chaos it was hard for him to see anything. Donny was pulled through the sewers and after a while found himself in the river. 

He managed to fight the current and swim to shore, flopping down on the muddy ground to catch his breath. The need to find Raph had him up on shaking legs sooner than he body would have liked.

The winds were starting to die down. Donny looked up and figured that the lull in the storm was due to the eye nearing and knew that the lull would be short lived. Pulling out his shell-cell, Donny opened it and set it to find the tracking device that he had placed on Raph after the first time he ran off in the Nexus. 

The signal was close by but it was stationary. 

Don ran in the direction of the signal, knowing that if Raph was hurt then he needed to be found as soon as possible. The winds died down as the eye of the storm passed overhead and everything got eerily still. Only the thundering sound of the rushing water could be heard as Don rushed towards Raph’s signal. 

When he reached the location, he was standing at the edge of the river near a drainage grid. Donny reached in the water and found Raph just below the surface. The water pressure held Raph against the grate and made it hard for Donny to pull him free. 

Donny had to pull him up first until Raph was far enough out of the water to relieve the pressure and then Donny was able to finally pull him all the way out. 

“Please let me be in time.” He carried Raph’s lifeless body further up shore to level ground and placed him down so that he could start CPR. He immediately went into chest compressions, stopping every few seconds to blow air into Raph lungs. 

“Don’t leave me.” Donny was light headed with shock. Nothing else mattered to him at that moment. The eye could pass and the storm could rage on and he would not care. His entire focus was on trying to save his little brother. 

The more time that passed the more Donny was filled with desperation. He refused to give up, he could not give up. 

 

…..

 

“Please,” Renet turned to Lord Simultaneous with tears in her eyes. “I’ve learned my lesson. Let me fix this.”

“You’re actions caused this, Renet,” the time lord stated flatly, keeping his eyes fixed on the viewing orb. 

“I’m sorry,” she cried. 

“The Time Scepter is not a fix all and you can’t just pluck someone from their time at a whim,” he said, looking up at her. “Change one thing and it has a rippling effect that spreads on to change the lives of many. Or do I need to remind you what happened when Donatello was removed from his time and dropped into the future?”

“But all of that was changed back when he returned to his proper time,” Renet pointed out. “If you would just let me go back and undo what I did then this would never have happened. Donny would never have been… been…. Please let me fix this.”

“No,” he replied then turned back to the sphere. “He’s finally giving up. You should watch.”

Renet watched as Donny bent over Raph in defeat and his mournful cries tore at her heart. “They have helped us and others, so many times. They play a pivotal role in the future. You can’t let him die.”

Lord Simultaneous turned to look up at Renet. “This is true. Raphael’s death would have a devastating effect on the future that spreads beyond just his family and friends. Just like with Donatello, if he is gone then his family will fall apart and their world will be taken over when the Shredder returns. It still amazes me how four creatures can have such a monumental impact on a world.”

“Maybe I could just eliminate the Utrom Shredder instead,” the time lord pondered out loud. 

“Please, no,” Renet begged. 

Lord Simultaneous sighed, “No. They are needed for more than just the Shredder, Raphael must live.”

Renet felt a wave of hope. “Then you’ll let me fix it?” 

“Not entirely,” the time lord answered then looked again to the orb, though his eyes were not focused on it. “You’re lucky that they are so important to the outcome of future events. When I was still an apprentice my mistakes did not have such a great ripple effect. My master had me watch as my actions killed and devastated a minor twenty innocent people. After that I learned to respect the power of the Time Scepter and to think before I act.”

He looked up at Renet. “Do not take your responsibilities lightly or underestimate the power of the Time Scepter. It is not a toy and it cannot fix all of your problems without causing problems for others. As a time keeper, your actions have a greater impact. You will see people die and you may want to change it but your actions could cause more harm and the deaths of many more. You will have to learn to make difficult decisions for the greater good.”

“I understand,” Renet whispered past the lump in her throat. 

“Let’s go,” Lord Simultaneous waved the time scepter and the portal opened. 

 

……..

 

It was hard for Donny to breathe and he rasped out his tears as he pulled Raph’s body closer. Devastation filled him followed closely by guilt. “This is my fault.”

“Not entirely,” a familiar voice came from behind him. Donny turned to see Lord Simultaneous stepping through a time portal followed by Renet. “This is all mainly Renet’s fault.”

“What?” Donny shook his head. “Why?”

“It was an accident,” Renet answered. “I’m so sorry.”

“As am I,” the time lord smiled sadly. “It isn’t common for time lords to correct the mistakes of their pupils. We usually let them go so that they can learn that their actions have consequences. One death is usually nothing in the greater scheme of things. However, you and your brothers are special.”

“So, what?” Donny stood, cradling Raph in his arms. “Are you going to take us back to before this all happened?”

“No,” Lord Simultaneous shook his head. 

“Then what?” hot tears fell from Donny’s eyes. 

“I will return your brother to his rightful age and revive him but I will not change what had happened in your lives. It is only his death that will change the future. All that has happened in the past few weeks has little to no impact so does not warrant my attention.” Lord Simultaneous sighed. “Place your brother on the ground.”

Donny looked down at Raph then pulled him into a gentle hug before placing him on the muddy ground. He stepped back as Lord Simultaneous waved the Time Scepter. 

Raph grew to his full size then moaned. He brought his hand up to his head. “I gotta stop drinking.” He sat up and looked around. “Where the hell am I?” Standing, he looked at Renet then his face scrunched up in anger. “You turned me into a kid!”

“I didn’t mean to,” she cried. “It was totally and accident.”

“You didn’t mean to?” Raph shouted. “Do you have any idea how many problems you caused?”

“I do,” Renet nodded. “I’m so sorry. After this, you guys will never see me again.”

Raph glared at her. “We better not.”

“Time to go,” Lord Simultaneous said, placing his hand on Renet’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”

He pulled her with him as he opened another portal and she looked down at him. “You wanted them to hate me.”

“It’s for the best,” he stated. “You never should have met them in the first place. We cannot afford to have friends outside of Null Time; we cannot play favorites.”

Raph stood, watching as they left through the portal. As soon as it was closed the winds started to pick up again.

He turned to Donny, who just stood there in numb shock. “You okay?” Raph walked over to him and caressed his cheek. 

Donny nodded, but didn’t say anything. 

Raph looked up as a flash of lightning tore across the sky, followed closely by a boom of thunder. “We need to find shelter for the rest of the storm. Do you think we can make it back to the lair?”

Before he was finished speaking, Donny threw his arms around Raph’s neck then broke down in a flood of tears. 

Raph wrapped his arms around Donny and held him tight. “It’s alright.”

“I just…,” Donny managed to choke out. “You were dead.”

“We’ll have time for it later,” Raph kissed the top of Donny’s head. “But, now we need to get somewhere safe.”

Donny nodded but didn’t let go so Raph lifted Donny bridal style and carried him away from the river. The ferocity of the rain escalated quickly and it wasn’t long before Raph struggled against the wind. 

Donny had passed out, the shock and way he had pushed his body beyond its limits had caught up to him, but Raph wasn’t about to complain. He found his way to the street and got his bearings. When he realized that they were too far from the lair to get back before the storm broke again he sought out shelter.

The waters rushed around his feet as he ran along the street. There was a toll plaza not far from their location and he hoped that the small structure would be enough to keep them safe. He broke his way into a toll booth and took shelter under the desk. Raph held Donny close as the second leg of the storm passed. 

He covered Donny with his own body to protect him from the flying debris and he covered his own head with a thick binder to protect it. He felt Donny stir and bring his arms up to wrap around Raph but Raph pulled Don’s arms back down to keep them tucked safe under him.

The wind howled and shook the tiny structure. The sudden pressure change had Raph’s ears popping and it was hard to breathe. Debris flew around the booth and cut into Raph, making his body sting. 

He felt something slam into his carapace and pierce through the bone-like shell. Fortunately it was far from his spine and didn’t pierce deep enough to do any damage to the soft tissue underneath. He was just grateful that it was his shell and not his arms or legs that got struck. 

After about an hour, the winds died down to a steady down pour of rain. 

“I think the worst is over,” Donny mumbled. 

“Should we try to make it home?” Raph moved off of Donny.

Water pooled around them in the booth and they could tell by the smell that it was over flow from the sewers. Donny moved to the booth window and looked out then opened his shell-cell. “We need to know if the others are okay.”

“Can you get this thing out of my back while you wait for one of them to pick up?” Raph grunted as he turned his back to Don. The parts of his body that had been exposed to the storm were covered with little nicks and cuts. 

“Wow,” Donny walked over and placed his hand on the chopstick that was lodged in Raph’s shell. “That had to have been moving fast to be able to pierce your carapace like that.”

“Hello?” Leo answered, drawing Don’s attention back to his shell-cell. 

“Leo,” Donny’s voice broke. “Are you guys okay? How’s Splinter?”

“The lair’s flooded but we found a safe place to get away from the current. Splinter is a little shook up but he’s okay,” Leo answered. “Did you find Raph?”

“Yeah,” Donny was unable to keep from crying. “It’s a long story but he’s back to his old self now.”

“Really?” there was joy in Leo’s voice. “That’s great. You can tell us all about it when you get back…. Do you think you two can make it back?”

“I think so,” Donny answered. “The streets are flooded but I think we will be able to make it home.” 

“Okay. Be careful and don’t take any chances.” Leo replied before disconnecting.

Donny tucked his cell back into his belt before turning to Raph. “I still can’t believe you’re back.”

“I can’t believe that bitch Renet turned me into a kid,” Raph mumbled. “I knew she did stupid shit but this was the worst.”

“So you remember being five?” Donny placed his hand on the chopstick and gave it a pull but it was in there tight. 

“I remember,” Raph breathed, looking over his shoulder at Donny. “I’m sorry.”

“Nothing was your fault.” Don fought to hold back tears. “Get on your knees so I can get better leverage on this.”

“I couldn’t protect you.” Raph knelt down in the murky water and leaned forward a little as Don gripped the chopstick. After some pulling and wiggling, Donny managed to pull it free and was glad to see that no blood followed. 

“You were a kid, Raph. There was nothing you could have done,” Donny said.

“Maybe,” Raph stood and turned to face Donny. Cupping Don’s face in his hands, Raph brought him in for a gentle kiss. Donny trembled and Raph knew that it wasn’t from the cold. Pulling back, Raph looked Donny in the eyes. “You’re afraid of me now.”

“I’m sorry,” Donny sobbed. “I just need more time. I know you won’t hurt me I just….”

“I understand,” Raph forced a sad smile. “I’ll give you all the time you need. You were willing to wait for me to grow up again, I can wait for you. No matter how long it takes.”

Donny led the way through the waist high waters. He was amazed at how far the current pulled them through the sewers before dumping them into the river. It took them about an hour to make it back to the lair, due to them having to avoid being seen and avoid the more dangerous areas. 

“We’re back,” Donny announced when they found a way back into the station. 

“We’re over here,” Mikey called back to them. 

It was a difficult task for Don and Raph to make their way through the damaged and flooded lair. Once they got to the others, Raph was hugged by each of them in a brief moment of joy. 

They told the others what had happened as they sat in the small, relatively dry place. Everyone was a mixture of emotions by the end of the story. They were glad that Raph was back to his old self but upset that so much time was allowed to pass with him as a child all so Renet could learn a lesson. 

Donny spent the time curled up in Mikey’s lap, going through his own set of conflictions. On one hand, he was overjoyed that Raph was alive and back to his grown self but, on the other hand, he was still suffering the effects of his rape. 

Leo had a medical kit in his belt and treated all the small cuts that littered Raph’s body while Mikey treated the few injuries that Donny had sustained. Then they all settled in to wait until the waters settled. After, they would discover if they still had a home or if they would once again need to move.


	9. Chapter 9

It was a good thing that Donatello had tethered some waterproof crates full of fresh water and food, in his preparations before the storm. When the waters settled, Leo and Raph waded through the chest deep waters to collect them, finding them where Don said they would be. 

Several days passed before the waters receded down to ankle deep levels and they were able to assess the damage to their home. 

“It’s salvageable,” Donny stated as he looked around. 

“There is a good chance that this place will be flooded with city workers soon,” Leo pointed out. “Someone is going to come out to assess the damage. We should leave before that happens.”

Mikey moaned, “I really liked this place. Can’t we just wait it out and see what happens?”

“We can wait it out from a distance,” Leo pulled Mikey into a warm embrace. “When the fate of the structure is decided then we can see if we can stay here.”

“Maybe it’s time for a trip to the farm,” Raph offered. 

Donny shook his head, “You weren’t around for that discussion. Members of Casey’s family are out there right now, including Casey and April. Going out there wasn’t an option for us to begin with.”

“Well, they’ll be leaving to come back to New York soon won’t they?” Raph argued. “I mean, they got homes here they gotta tend to right?”

“Maybe,” Leo nodded. “When we get the go ahead from Casey and April, then we’ll go out there, but for now we need to disappear. Gather what you can, we’re leaving today.”

They collected everything that would indicate that they had been there; everything else would be brushed off as debris dragged in by the storm. Most of their things were lost to them and they were grateful that Donny had the sense to pack all their pictures and irreplaceable items in the same waterproof crates as he had the food. 

They trudged through the sewers in search of a temporary place to stay while they waited for news from Casey and April. Their ninja training was put to the test as the sewers were flooded with workers, searching for damage from the storm.

Fortunately they didn’t have to stay long. Two days after they had found a relatively dry and out of the way spot, April called them to let them know that the farm house was vacant. 

The Turtles again moved to the relative safety of the farm while the city of New York recovered. Casey and April had made sure that the kitchen was well stocked and that there was plenty of fire wood to keep them warm. 

Raph kept his distance from Donny, despite his desire to be with him. He had promised Donny that he would wait for him and he was going to stick to it. 

Donny trained alone with Mikey and stayed clear of Leo and Raph most of the time. He did make the effort to be near them and would occasionally curl up in Raph’s lap. When he did, Raph wouldn’t move for fear of frightening Donny or making him uncomfortable. 

There were other days where Donny pulled away entirely, not even letting Mikey near him. His sobs could be heard throughout the whole farmhouse and it took every ounce of Raph’s control to keep from running to Don. 

They stayed out at the farm for three months before they got the all clear from Casey and April. When they got back to the reservoir station it had been cleaned out and patched up. 

“Time to start over again,” Mikey sighed, shifting his bag on his shoulder. “You’d think I’d be used to it by now.” He looked over at Leo, “Can we still live here at least?” 

“Yeah,” Leo nodded. “I think it’s safe to move back in.”

Slowly they started to rebuild their lives. 

………

Leo walked into his room, amazed at how quickly Mikey had made a mess of it. He walked over to a pile of towels in the corner and started to collect them. “Why would he even do this?” As he placed the third one over his arm he noticed something tucked in with the towels. 

Setting the ones in his arms down, Leo got on his knees to get a closer look. He pulled another towel aside and saw a smooth white surface nestled within the pile. His heart jumped to his throat as he stared at the egg. 

“M… Mikey!” Leo hollered, turning to the door. 

Leo couldn’t breathe. He placed the towels back over the egg, praying that there was just one within the mound. 

“Mikey!” Leo yelled again as he stood and backed away from the pile. 

“Yeah, Leo,” Mikey answered as he walked into the room, closing the door behind him. “Don’t yell so much, Donny’s having an off day.”

Leo turned to face his mate. “Is there something you need to tell me?” he pointed to the pile of towels. 

A smile crept across Mikey’s beak, “Oh that.”

“How can you be so calm?” Leo’s voice broke. “How many are there?”

“Four,” Mikey answered, watching as Leo sat down on the bed and the color drained from his face. 

“Four?” Leo leaned forward and covered his face. “When did it happen?”

“April helped me with it yesterday,” Mikey walked over to the pile and pulled out on of the eggs. “You were out with Raph at the junk yard.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help you through it. Why didn’t you tell me?” Leo dropped his hands and looked up at Mikey. 

Mikey chuckled and tossed the egg to Leo. “Because it wasn’t that big a deal and you were busy with other things.”

Leo’s heart stopped as the egg flew through the air. He reached out and caught it, dropping his hands to follow through with the motion so not to jar it. “What are you doing?” He yelled, glaring at Mikey. 

“Dude,” Mikey crossed his arms over his chest. “Do you really think I would keep something like that from you? I’ve already told you that I’m not ever gonna lie to you again.”

Leo looked back down at the egg in his hands and turned it over. “It’s wood.”

“Yeah,” Mikey walked over and took the egg back from Leo as he sat down on the bed. “I was feeling weird so I talked to April about it. We figured out that despite being infertile, I still had the instinct to lay eggs. I mean, we’ve been having sex so I guess my body got all confused or something. 

“Anyway, April came up with the idea for me to make a nest and place some eggs into it. She got me these and I buried them in a pile of towels.”

“Did it help?” Leo asked.

“Yeah, I think so,” Mikey leaned over and placed his head on Leo’s shoulder. “Turtles don’t stick around after they lay their eggs so once it was done I felt a lot better.”

“You could have talked to me about this, you know,” Leo kissed the top of Mikey’s head. “I wouldn’t have brushed it off or laughed about it.”

“I just wanted to talk to a girl about it and I was gonna tell you,” Mikey sighed. “We’ve just been so busy.”

Leo chuckled, “You freaked me out.”

“Would it have really been so bad?” Mikey asked in a small voice. 

“You said it yourself,” Leo shifted so that he could lift Mikey’s chin and look him in the eyes. “This life wouldn’t be fair for a child. That, and I’m not ready to be a dad; I wanna be able to have you all to myself. That said; if they were real, I would have been more than honored to be the father of your children.”

Mikey smiled at that. “I like being all yours.”

Leo took the egg back and tossed it on to the pile of towels. “I’ve got you here now,” he wiggled his eye ridges. 

With a happy squeal, Mikey giggled as he was pushed back onto his carapace and bit his bottom lip, “What are you gonna do to me?” 

“What I have in mind apparently confuses your body and instincts a little bit.” Leo moved so that he was looming over Mikey. 

Mikey waved it off, “I have a solution to that minor little problem now.”

“Good,” Leo husked, pressing in for a heated kiss. 

 

……

 

Raph walked into his room and froze when he saw Donny standing there. It had been about a month since the Turtles had returned to New York and this was the first time Donny had entered Raph’s room. 

Raph was afraid to speak or move. He didn’t know why Donny was there but he didn’t want to give him a reason to leave. 

“Hey,” Donny forced a smile. “Don’t just stand there, please.”

“Okay,” Raph took a step forward. “What do you want me to do?”

Donny closed the gap between them and placed his hands on Raph’s plastron. “Hold me.”

Raph wrapped his arms around Donny and held him close. He could feel Donny trembling so he did his best to soothe him. “Don’t force yourself to do anything you ain’t ready to do, Donny.”

“I want to be with you Raph, even if it’s just to be in your arms,” Donny pressed himself up against Raph. “I want to sleep here tonight.”

“I will do whatever you want me to do,” Raph kissed the top of Donny’s head. “So long as you are happy.”

“I don’t want to lose you,” Donny whispered. 

“That’s never gonna happen,” Raph assured him. “You take as long as you need. I ain’t going nowhere.”

“You protect me in my dreams,” Donny admitted. “Even in my worst nightmares, you are there to protect me. You fight him off and beat him up and you keep me safe.”

“He haunts your dreams?” Raph asked as he fought to hold back tears.

Donny nodded his head. “They are all the same. He either finds his way here or he’s waiting for me in the Nexus and I have to fight him. He’s sabotaged the safety features and he tries to rape me in front of everyone but you manage to come to my rescue. You beat him up. You’re so strong; he doesn’t stand a chance against you.” 

“You’re a strong fighter, Donny,” Raph insisted. “He didn’t face you in a fair fight. I probably wouldn’t have done any better. You’re giving me too much credit.”

“You’ll keep me safe,” Donny mumbled. “You won’t let him hurt me again.” That was when Raph realized that Donny was starting to fall asleep. 

Raph lifted him and placed him into the hammock then climbed in to spoon him. “I will keep you safe.” He kissed Donny on the head and held him close. “I swear he will never hurt you again.”

 

…….

 

For the first time in months, Donny slept through the night without a fitful dream. He woke feeling refreshed and some of his anxieties had dissipated. He turned in the hammock and realized that he was alone. 

Sitting up, he smiled to himself. Raph must have left early, not wanting to be there just in case Donny was having an off day. But Donny actually felt better than he had in a long time and he would have welcomed waking up in Raph’s arms. 

With a happy sigh, Donny fumbled his way out of the hammock and made his way down to breakfast. The smell of fresh coffee greeted him as he entered the kitchen and he headed straight for the pot to pour himself a cup. 

“Where’s Raph,” Donny asked after sitting down at the table. 

Mikey shrugged, “Must still be in his room.” He was standing at the counter making his breakfast. 

Donny shook his head, “No. I just came from there.”

“Oh?” Mikey smiled, looking back over his shoulder. “You were in his room?”

“I slept last night in his room, yes,” Donny blushed. “He held me as I slept, that’s all.”

“Well,” Mikey turned back to his cooking, “it’s a step forward anyway.”

“I do feel better,” Donny admitted. 

“Well enough that I can join you?” Leo asked as he stepped into the kitchen. 

“Yes,” Donny nodded and Leo sat down at the table. Donny took a sip of coffee and was happy with how relaxed he was. He looked up at Leo and didn’t shy away when their eyes met, “Have you seen Raph?”

“No,” Leo shook his head. “He wasn’t in the dojo.”

“Where could he be,” Donny mused, taking another sip of coffee. 

After breakfast there was still no sigh of Raph and Donny started to worry. He opened his shell cell to track Raph but there was no signal. That only worried Donny even more. 

He searched the lair, looking for any sign of where Raph could have gone. When he entered the room where they had the supplies for entering the Nexus, he saw the only clue he needed. 

Fresh symbols were drawn on the wall and the floor was still wet around the area. Raph had entered the Nexus and Donny had a sinking feeling that he knew why.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Violence and non-canon character death.

Raphael wandered the Nexus for three days before he spotted Bloo. It was carrying a dead animal in its mouth and the people on the street backed away, looks of disgust plastered on their faces. Following after the strange blue creature, Raph was led to his target. 

KC was waiting in the doorway as Bloo returned home and Bloo dropped the dead creature at KC’s feet. “That’s not what I sent you out for,” KC growled, kicking the ‘gift’ away. 

“Grape,” Bloo chirped, diving after the dead animal. 

“You’re not giving that to him,” KC reached out and grabbed Bloo by the nape of his neck. “And stop calling him Grape, that’s not his name.” He threw Bloo down in the dirt and crossed his arms over his chest. “Get out there and find me another kid or I’ll remove your collar and throw you out with the trash.”

Bloo chirped in sorrow as it collected itself up off the ground and stood there watching as KC slammed the door closed. It stood staring at the door for a few more minutes before it raced over to pick the dead animal up. Bloo gulped it down like a snake with a mouse then rushed off to do KC’s bidding. 

Raph waited and watched Bloo run down the street before jumping down to walk up to the door and knocked. 

KC answered the door and paused when he saw Raph. “Can I help you?”

Without a word Raph punched KC in the beak. The mercenary staggered back into the room, covering his nose. Raph stepped in and said, “How do you like being sucker punched?”

“I don’t like it at all,” KC answered, his hand still covering his bleeding nose. “That hurt. Why would you do that?”

“You’re really gonna hate what I’m gonna do next,” Raph growled as he lunged for KC but KC had other plans. 

He dodged Raph’s fist by dropping to the floor then he kicked up, landing his foot in Raph’s gut. Raph staggered back but recovered in time to avoid KC’s next attack. KC’s hand grazed Raph’s shoulder as Raph turned. Capturing KC’s arm by the wrist, Raph then pulled it behind KC’s back. 

“You’re gonna pay for what you did to Donny,” Raph rumbled while twisting KC’s arm. 

“Donny?” KC turned his head to look at Raph. “Raph?” Confusion washed over his face. “Was it really that long ago or did you grow up fast?”

“I grew up fast,” Raph answered.

Raph continued to pull up on KC’s pinned arm, thinking he had the upper hand but KC wasn’t so easily overcome. He moved through the pain, bringing his free arm up and back to elbow Raph in the jaw. The blow was hard enough to cause Raph to let go and KC turned to face him. 

“I don’t know your story, kid, maybe I’ll get it out of you one day but there is one thing that I already know.”

“Yeah, what’s that?” Raph asked, rubbing his jaw while circling KC.

“You died,” KC answered. Raph paused and KC laughed. “I can see it in your eyes. I’ve seen it often enough that I can recognize it now.” He smiled and tilted his head to the side. “Tell me. Did it leave an empty feeling inside to learn that there is nothing after this life is finished, just darkness?”

“That’s what it must have been like for you.” Raph pulled his sai from their holsters. “But, when I died I felt nothing but peace. It was paradise. For the first time in my life I knew pure joy. The traumatic part was when I was wrenched away from it to return to the land of the living.”

“Well then,” KC smiled with a bow. “Let me have the honors of sending you back.”

KC lunged at Raph while pulling daggers from his belt and their weapons clashed. Raph glared into the eyes of the monster that had haunted his nightmares for years and felt only loathing. Rage burned in his belly as they grappled. 

“By the way,” KC grinned up at Raph. “That ass was ni~ce,” he hissed. “Has he let you tap it yet?”

KC’s words lit a fire in Raph and he roared in anger. 

“I guess not,” KC chuckled, and then put on a fake pouty face. “Is that really why you’re angry? A little sexually frustrated?”

Raph was fuming at this point but instead of making him falter, like KC had planned, it made him more determined. Raph was larger and stronger than KC and was soon able to wrench the daggers from his opponent’s hands. He then lurched forward and head butted KC in the beak, staggering him back as fresh blood started to ooze from his nose. 

Raph spun and kicked KC on the side of his head, sending him to the ground. Before KC had the chance to recover, Raph dropped his foot down on KC’s chest. 

KC gasped out as the wind was forced from his lungs and his heart forgot to beat for a few lingering seconds. 

Not wanting to give KC any chances, Raph dropped down bringing his sai towards KC’s chest, needing the momentum to break through the hard upper plastron, but KC turned, taking the blow in his arm. The force of the blow sent his sai into the bone. Raph jerked his sai free, twisting as he did to cause as much damage as possible while arching his other sai towards KC’s head but he only managing to strike air. 

Despite his injuries, KC still had fight in him and weapons on him. His hand emerged with a metal claw and he buried the spikes into Raph’s right shoulder muscle. Raph punched KC in the beak again, snapping his head back and causing it to strike the floor. 

Raph pulled away from KC, the metal claw still lodged in his shoulder, slipped free of KC’s hand. KC rolled to try to get to his feet but Raph kicked his carapace, knocking him back down. Ignoring the pain in his shoulder and fueled by his rage, Raph rolled KC back to his carapace. 

“You took what was supposed to be mine,” Raph said through gritted teeth. “I’ll make you pay for what you did to Donny.”

“You’ve beat me up,” K.C. said in a daze. “We even?”

“Not even close.” Knowing it would be harder to pierce through the thick upper plastron, Raph focused on the softer bridge on the side. Raph pushed the tip of his sai through the sensitive bridge on KC’s left side. Once he pressed through the cartilage like shell, he slowly pressed into the soft insides. “I’m gonna make you suffer.”

“I’m not done yet,” KC grunted. “You’re not gonna get to savor this.” His right hand shot up as he rolled and drove a spike into Raph’s left side, twisting it as he tried to sit up.

Raph brought his left hand up and managed to send his sai into KC’s writs, causing KC’s hand to open before he had the chance to pull the spike back out. 

With his sai still through KC’s writs, Raph pulled K.C.’s arm up then straddled KC while shifting the sai to his right hand. Raph then continued to stab into KC’s right side with his other sai. Raph’s left side screamed in pain, the spike shifting with each stroke. 

Blood oozed from KC’s mouth and nose but his eyes stayed locked with Raph’s. “You ever kill someone before, boy?”

Raph didn’t answer, just continued to stab KC’s left side. 

“I will haunt your dreams forever,” KC laughed, his voice weak and gruff. “I’ve seen meaner men than you traumatized by the act of taking a life. I die with the joy of knowing that I damaged both you and your precious Donny for life.” 

“Donny will sleep better at night knowing that he will never have to face you again.” Raph leaned in. “And, I will take comfort in knowing that I saved others from ever becoming your victim.”

“I may have done some awful things in my life,” K.C. gurgled out. “But I had fun doing it.”

He laughed as his eyes lost focused and continued to laugh as his life drained from him. Raph moved to stand, his foot slipping on the pool of blood and jostling the spike still in his side. He grunted in pain and had to lean over KC’s body while he waited for his head to stop spinning. 

“Kaaaay…Seee…?”

Raph turned to see Bloo standing in the door way, holding the hand of a child. The child took one look at the carnage and screamed. He pulled his hand free of Bloo’s and bolted away as fast as his little legs would carry him. 

Bloo didn’t care about the child. He ran into the room to kneel next to KC. The odd creature let out a long and sorrowful chirp as it brought its hand up to touch KC’s face. 

Raph managed to move off of KC and watched while Bloo rushed over to get a first aid kit. Bloo hurried back over to KC’s side and started to scoop the blood off the ground in an attempt to put it back, the whole time continuing with his mournful trills and chirps. 

“Bloo,” Raph knelt down next to Bloo. “You don’t have to serve him anymore.”

Bloo turned and hissed at Raph.

“You’re free Bloo,” Raph said. 

Bloo ignored him and tried to get KC to drink something. 

Raph sighed then reached up to touch Bloo’s collar. “You don’t need this anymore.” With a simple tug, Raph pulled the collar off of Bloo’s neck. “You’ll soon realize that there is nothing you can do for him.”

His intentions were to set Bloo free in a symbolic way, to show Bloo that it was no longer a pet but he had no idea what the collar really was. Bloo’s eyes went wide and a soft chirp escaped him before he fell forward. Raph sat there holding the collar unsure of what had happened. “Bloo?” Raph reached over and shook him. “Bloo?”

Raph could feel the tingle of magic in the collar as he held it in his hand. He tried putting the collar back around Bloo’s neck but nothing happened. “No,” Raph choked out. “I didn’t want you to die. Please.”

“I’m sorry,” Raph whispered as he reached up to close Bloo’s eyes. 

As he stood, Raph grabbed the cloth and pulled it off of KC to take with him to present to the Daimyo. He headed for the door but before he stepped through a sound caused him to pause. Raph turned back to look at the two dead bodies on the floor then looked around the room. “Is someone there?”

He stood listening for a moment and he heard the noise again. 

He rushed to the back room and he could feel the tingle of magic as he stepped through the door into the familiar room. His eyes fell on the bed that once held Donny and a lump formed in his throat. He stood with his eyes transfixed on the bed but a soft coo snapped him out of his trance. 

He turned and saw a baby bundled up in a bassinet. Yellow eyes in a sea of black looked up at him and dripped with black tears. White drool dripped from the side of its mouth as it sucked its tongue.

Raph bent down and pulled the swaddle back to reveal that the orange faced baby had markings like KC and faded down into a blue body. 

“Well, I can’t leave you here,” Raph sighed and picked the baby up. As he stood, the loss of blood and his injuries caught up with him and he staggered. With a grunt he willed his body to work and turned to leave with the baby in his arms. 

Raph made it out to the street before falling to his knees. He was losing energy quickly and he wasn’t sure if he was going to make it to the Daimyo’s estate. 

“Are you alright?” a man asked, walking up to Raph. “You need a doctor?”

Raph looked up to see Kluh, the fighter who Mikey beat back in their first nexus tournament. He was in his smaller form at the moment but Raph knew that he was able to grow to over three times his size in a matter of seconds. 

“KC,” Raph grunted out. “I killed him.” Using his last reserves of strength, Raph placed the baby safely on the ground before he blacked out.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> KC and Bloo are OCs that belong to Dragona15 and FrankenPup respectively. Chris belongs to the both of them.

Once Donatello figured out where Raph had gone, he gathered the others and they all entered into the Nexus, hoping to find Raph. They were soon told that Raphael entered into the Nexus hours before and rushed through the estate before anyone was able to stop him. 

They were offered to stay until they were able to find their brother but the Daimyo was in doubt that they would ever see him again, especially if he went after KC. “Many had tried before and none had returned.”

After three days of searching and waiting, Donny started to think the same thing. 

He was sitting with Splinter, staring off at nothing as despair set in when Leo burst into the room. “Someone’s found Raph. They’re coming up the road now.”

It took a second for Leo’s words to register with Donny but when they did he was on his feet, running for the door. 

He exited the large estate in time to see Kluh, in his large form, approaching with Raph in his arms. Raph was patched up but blood still dripped from his limp body. 

Kluh was followed by three of his kinsmen. Two dragged the bodies of KC and Bloo behind them while another, still in his smaller form, carried a bundle in his arms. 

Donny’s heart was in his throat and he stood frozen as he watched them approach, fearing the worst. Then he saw Raph move and Don rushed over towards Kluh. The group was quickly surrounded by the Daimyo’s healers and Raph was whisked away before Donny could reach them. 

By the time he got there, Kluh and his friends stood unburdened. Donny looked up at the large man, “What happened?”

Kluh shrugged, “We were walking by, when your brother came out of a house that looked like it didn’t have a door and then he passed out. When we investigated, we found a door hidden by magic and the bodies of KC and Bloo inside the house. We patched your brother up as best as we could and brought him here.” 

“Thank you, for helping him,” Donny bowed. 

“He killed the creature that has been plaguing these lands for years,” Kluh said. “That monster took my brother years ago. I am honored to help the man who finally bested him.”

“Yeah but at what cost?” Donny whispered to himself as Kluh and his friends walked past to get into the Daimyo’s estate. 

“I wanna hear from the Daimyo himself that that monster is dead,” one of them stated as they passed. 

Leo walked up behind Donny and placed his hand on Don’s shoulder. Donny turned to face him and for a moment Leo thought Donny would pull away but instead Donny fell into his brother’s arms and for the first time in months, Leo held his younger brother. 

It felt good to be able to hold him again, Leo was just sad that it happened amidst such tragedy. “Let’s go inside,” Leo offered. “Master Splinter and Mikey have already gone in. I’m sure that by the time we get there, someone will have news.”

Donny nodded and allowed Leo to guide him back into the estate, leaning on him for support. When they entered the large building, Mikey was waiting for them. A sad smile spread across his face when he saw them together. 

“Raph’s weak but they say that nothing was fatal and that he should be able to go home in a few days.”

Donny heaved a sigh of relief. His emotional turmoil taking its toll and making him light headed. Leo supported him as they walked over to where Splinter was sitting then reluctantly set him down. Leo hadn’t realized before how much the lack of contact with Donny had affected him and knew that if it had affected him so much then it had to have been worse for Raph. 

Leo found himself understanding why Raph did what he had done. If someone haunted Mikey’s dreams and had him pulling away from Leo, then Leo would have probably done the same as Raph and gone after the one who had plagued him. 

Donny lay his head down in Splinter’s lap and waited for someone to come out to give them an update. 

Mikey scooted closer to Leo and placed his head on Leo’s shoulder. “It’s a start.”

After a while one of the healers walked by, carrying a bundle in his arms. Mikey shot to his feet and rushed over. “Do you think you will be able to find its parents?”

The healer stopped and looked at him. “This child was not abducted; it is the child of KC and Bloo.”

Donny stood and, with unsteady feet, walked over to the healer. “Bloo and KC were both male. How did they have a child together?”

“I have no idea,” the healer answered. 

“What’s gonna happen to the baby?” Mikey asked, craning his neck so that he could look at it. 

“Again, I have no idea,” the healer sighed, lowering the baby so Mikey could get a good look. “There are not too many out there who would want to raise the unnatural child of those two.”

Without a word, Mikey reached out and took the baby from the healer. “This baby is innocent. He shouldn’t be rejected because of who his parents are.” Mikey then turned and walked away. 

Donny stood in shock, tentatively reaching out his hand. “Uh, Mikey?”

Mikey didn’t stop, just marched on over to Leo and sat down. Leo looked up at Don who could only shrug. 

“Mikey?” Leo reached out for the baby but Mikey turned away. “What’s going on?”

Mikey looked over his shoulder at Leo. “He’s orange and blue.”

“Okay,” Leo said slowly. “Why did you take him from the healer?”

“He’s just a baby.” Mikey was starting to get choked up. “Nobody wants him because of who his parents are.”

“I’m sure the Daimyo will find him a good home,” Splinter soothed. “He’s not going to do anything to hurt the baby.”

Mikey continued to hold the baby tight and when the healer reached out to take him, Mikey jumped to his feet and moved away. “If he grows up here, everyone is gonna hate him. He’ll be sad and unloved. I’ll love him.”

“You said that you don’t even want kids,” Leo said, standing up. 

“I lied,” Mikey yelled. “I was never given the choice, it was taken from me. I know in my head that having kids would be unfair to them but in my heart….” Mikey kept his back to them, sheltering the baby who had started to cry. “I really want to keep him.”

Mikey shushed the baby while bouncing him in his arms and Splinter pulled Leo aside. “Taking care of this baby would be a great responsibility but Michelangelo is right, I fear that the child will receive unfair treatment if it were to stay here.” 

The healer looked between Splinter and Leo and whispered, “There would be no objection if you did take him.”

Sighing, Leo walked up to Mikey and spoke softly, “KC raped Donny.”

“This baby had nothing to do with that,” Mikey argued then turned to look at Donny. “You’d be okay with me keeping him, right? He has no one and he would be an outcast here.”

Leo looked back at Donny and their eyes met. After a few moments, Donny nodded his head though there were tears in his eyes.

“Are you sure?” Leo walked over to Donny. “Will you be okay?”

Donny looked past Leo and at Mikey. “Can I see him?”

Mikey walked over and held the baby out so Donny could see him. 

Donny’s breath hitched as he stifled a sob. Black tears streaked down the baby’s face, coating his orange cheeks. Donny pulled the wrapping apart to look at the baby fully. Its body was mostly blue that faded into orange and he had KC’s marking along his head, only they were more faded. “He looks more like Bloo.”

“He’s innocent, Donny.” Mikey looked into Donny’s eyes. “We can raise him right and he will be nothing like them.”

Donny continued to look down at the baby. “You should name him Chris.”

“Chris?” Mikey lifted an eye ridge. “Why Chris?”

Donny shrugged, “It fits him.”

“So you’re alright with me keeping him?” Mikey asked, pulling Chris close. 

“Yeah,” Donny forced a smile. “He is innocent and deserves to be loved.” He looked up into Mikey’s eyes then brought his hand up to caress his cheek. “And you deserve a child. You’ll make a great mom.”

Mikey turned to look at Leo and the look in his eyes said everything; Mikey had no intension of letting the baby go. 

Leo nodded his head. “Alright.”

Mikey beamed at Leo before turning his attention back to Chris and walked away to sit back down. He leaned over towards Splinter to show him Chris. Splinter caressed the baby’s head and smiled then started to offer advice on how to raise a child. Mikey listened, hanging on every word of advice. 

Leo sighed, “There goes my sex life. It was good while it lasted.”

Donny did his best to stifle a chuckle by covering his mouth with his hand. 

“I’m glad you can find the humor in this,” Leo fought his own smile. “I was horrible with Raph as a kid. I’m terrified I’m going to screw this kid up.”

“You weren’t so bad,” Donny placed a hand on Leo’s shoulder. 

“Yeah I was,” Leo mumbled. 

“Yeah you were,” Donny agreed with a grin and a sparkle in his eye. “But you’ll learn. And you’ll give that baby a better life than what he would have had.”

“Why Chris?” Leo asked, keeping his voice low.

“KC’s full name was Kayne Christoffersen,” Donny answered, the humor draining from him. 

“Don’t torture yourself, Donny,” Leo whispered as he caressed Donny’s cheek. 

“I’m not,” Donny forced a smile. “And I won’t let what happened to me effect the way I treat Chris.”

A healer walked out and bowed to them. “He is awake and ready for visitors but I suggest that you go in one at a time and keep your visits short.”

“You go, Donny,” Mikey offered. 

“Spend as much time as you need, my son,” Splinter nodded in agreement. “If we do not get the chance to see him today, that will be alright.”

“Thank you,” Donny bowed then followed the healer to where Raph was being kept. 

The dimly lit room was small with a plush tatami in the center and not all that different than the one Donny was kept in only a few months ago. Incense of healing and relaxing herbs were burning in a corner, filling the room with a musky scent. Raph was lying comfortably, surrounded and supported with pillows and blankets. His gear had been removed and his side and shoulder were wrapped with fresh bandages and a damp cloth was covering his eyes. 

A healer was kneeling next to him, holding a glass of water so that Raph could drink through a straw. She looked up when Don entered the room, placed her hand on Raph’s plastron, and then whispered to him, “Donatello is here.”

Raph’s breath hitched and he looked ready to sit up but the healer held him down and gestured Donny over. “Don’t let him get over excited,” she warned. “There was a toxin on the spike in his side. As long as he stays relaxed it won’t circulate through his system too quickly and his body will be able to filter what is left out without lingering damage.”

“I understand,” Donny knelt down next to Raph. 

“Good,” the healer stood. “I’ll give you two some privacy.”

“Thank you,” Donny bowed his head then waited for her to leave. 

Once they were alone, Donny bent down and nuzzled Raph then started to pepper Raph’s neck with small kisses. “You big jerk.”

Raph reached up and wrapped his arms around Donny. “I’m sorry I made you worry but maybe now you won’t have nightmares about him anymore.”

“You didn’t have to do it,” Donny said as he shifted so that he was lying down next to Raph. “I felt safe with you.”

“He won’t be able to hurt anyone else,” Raph said. 

“Mikey wants to keep the baby,” Donny said, running his fingers along Raph’s jawline. 

Raph husked out a laugh, “What’s Leo think of that?”

“He thinks his sex life if over,” Donny answered. 

Raph laughed harder and ended in a coughing fit. Donny sat up to help him drink some water then waited for Raph to settle back down. After a few deep breaths, Raph asked, “How do you feel about the baby.”

“I’ll be alright,” Donny flipped the cloth covering Raph’s eyes and got a brief look at how puffy they were. “I just want to sleep in your arms again.”

“I’ll be home soon,” Raph managed a smile. 

Donny lay back down next to Raph, gently resting his head on Raph’s plastron. “I’m sorry I drove you to do this. I shouldn’t have told you about my nightmares.”

“I was planning on doing it anyway,” Raph soothed. “What you said just fueled the fire that was already there.” 

“Why did you kill Bloo?” Donny asked in a small voice. “He helped us escape.”

“I didn’t mean to,” Raph sighed. “I took off his collar and he died. I didn’t know that would happen. There was magic in the collar, removing it must have triggered something.” Raph’s arm came up and wrapped around Donny. “Stay here with me tonight.”

“I don’t think they will let me,” Donny replied. 

Raph scoffed, “They better, or I’m gonna pitch a fit and become irate.”

Donny chuckled, “I guess I have no choice but to stay.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the time jumps, it’s what I do at the end of a story. 
> 
> Some of KC’s secrets are revealed. Donny gets closure and works to get past his fears brought on by his drama. Chris grows up.

It took Raph three weeks to recover enough to be able to leave the medical ward. In that time Donny assisted in the search of KC and Bloo’s home. They needed to use either the cloth KC wore or Bloo’s collar in order to pass through the magical doors. Their search uncovered several rooms within the small house all connected by magic and each room was in a different dimension. There were prisoners in other rooms and each was set free, including a magician. 

The magician had been a prisoner of KC the longest and was able to provide them with the most information. According to him, Bloo and the inner dimensional house had once belonged to the magician until KC came into their lives and eventually took over, using the magician’s magic for his own benefit. 

KC established himself as a slave trader, protected by the magic around him. People, mostly children, were taken from one dimension and traded into another to help insure that they would never be found. Fortunately, KC had kept great records for being insane and they had actually learned a lot. KC’s records had all the information that would be needed to at least give hope to finding some of his victims. 

The magician was grateful to get his home back after decades of being a prisoner and had agreed to help in trying to find the victims. 

The Daimyo waited until Raph was well enough before cremating the bodies of KC and Bloo so Raph could stand witness. It was a public display with a large turnout. Beings from other dimensions even showed up to watch. There were several people who wanted to see that the evil was finally gone.

Raph wrapped his arm around Don’s shoulder and pulled him close. Donny leaned in, resting his head on Raph. Donatello actually felt a pang of sorrow at seeing Bloo but felt a weight lift at seeing KC’s body burn. He was safe from ever having to see KC again and he wouldn’t be able to hurt others anymore.

As the fire burned down, several people came up to Raph to thank him for being the one to kill KC. Some even offered gifts but Raph rejected them and asked that they instead help the magician get back on his feet after his years as a prisoner.

Once he was ready to go home, Raph made sure to thank Kluh and his friends for helping him then he thanked all of the healers for tending to his injuries and finally the Daimyo for all of his help and accommodations before leaving. 

Back at the lair they tried to move on with their lives, each taking turns with taking care of Chris and it wasn’t long before he became the center of their world. 

 

…..

Chris was in the baby swing that Donny had fixed up. The motor no longer worked but it was a padded place for him to sit and it was no great effort for the Turtles to push it. Raph sat on the sofa and watched as Chris sucked on his clinched fist. White drool coated the small hand and dribbled down his arm. Raph picked up a cloth and wiped the drool away, again. “You are one messy kid. Damn near soaked through this cloth already.”

“Watch you language,” Mikey smacked the back of Raph’s head. 

Raph glared at Mikey over his shoulder, “I didn’t say anything bad.”

Mikey walked around the sofa and sat down next to Raph, holding a bowl of baby food. “It was bad enough.” Mikey reached up and pulled Chris’ fist from his mouth. “Time to eat.” Before Chris had the chance to plop his hand back into his mouth, Mikey pushed the spoon of food in first. 

Chris mashed the food against the roof of his mouth with noisy slurps as some dribbled down his chin. 

Raph scrunched up his nose. “Is he actually swallowing any of it?”

“Yes,” Mikey rolled his eyes. Using the spoon, Mikey collected some of the lost cereal from Chris’ chin and pushed it back into the baby’s mouth. “Thank you for taking care of him today and last night. Leo and I needed some alone time.”

Raph shrugged. “It wasn’t a problem.”

“Things going okay between you and Donny?” Mikey ventured, pushing another spoonful of food into Chris’ mouth. 

“Okay, I guess,” Raph answered. “He doesn’t shy away when I touch him anymore, so that’s an improvement and we’ve kissed a few times. Don looked up some therapy stuff and now we’re doin’ this touch exercise. It seems to be helpin’. ”

“He’ll get there,” Mikey smiled over at Raph. 

“I know,” Raph stood. “I’m gonna go and… uh… see how he’s doin.”

“Okay,” Mikey nodded. “Thanks again for taking care of Chris.”

“Anytime, Mikey,” Raph said as he left and made his way to his room. 

Donny sat on the floor in their shared room, reading a book on overcoming trauma. He had been reading and taking notes on every book on the subject that he could find and then he would have Raph try the methods with him. “The problem with me is my eidetic memory,” Donny stated without looking up. 

Raph wasn’t sure if Don was talking to him or to himself. With a gentle sigh, Raph took the book from Donny whose hands followed the book up as a small whimper escaped him. “How many of these things are you gonna read?” Raph tossed the book on to the nearby desk. 

“I’m trying to overcome this the best way I know how,” Donny argued, standing up. 

Raph grabbed Donny’s wrist to stop him from picking the book back up. “You’re dwelling on it, Donny.” He pulled Donny toward the hammock. “Just… lay down with me and we can do that touch exercise.”

“Okay,” Donny nodded. 

They settled into the hammock, facing each other. Raph caressed Donny’s cheek then gently pulled him into a kiss. Raph’s hand drifted down Don’s arm and Donny stiffened. “I feel trapped.”

“Okay,” Raph moved, pulling Donny on top of him as he rolled onto his back. “Better?”

Donny nodded and looked down into Raph’s eyes, “Yeah.”

“Good,” Raph smiled. “I don’t mind being on the bottom you know.”

Donny shook his head, “Don’t. Please don’t.”

“What?” Raph asked. “I’m not pushing for anything.”

“I know,” Donny pressed his forehead to Raph’s. “But I know what you were implying. You’ve done so much for me already and I fell in love with the dominant you. Please don’t become submissive.”

“I will do whatever you need me to,” Raph said with pain in his voice. “I’m at a loss.”

“You’ve changed a lot for me,” Donny sat back on Raph’s hips. “Maybe we just need to… go back to the way we were before all of this happened. I read one book that suggested pushing through the fear.”

“I don’t want to freak you out,” Raph said. “Or scar you more. I’m able to touch you and hold you again. I don’t want to do anything that would make you pull away from me.”

“Maybe that’s what part of the problem is,” Donny said with a shrug. “Everyone is treating me different and that is a constant reminder of what happened. Just come at me like you used to. I want my dominant Raph back.”

“Are you sure,” Raph raised an eye ridge. Donny nodded, biting his bottom lip and pulling it through his teeth. “Okay. I hope I don’t regret this,” Raph reached up and pulled Donny back down, into a heated kiss. 

Donny felt his nerves settle as he fell into the familiar feel of his lover lips pressed against his. Raph’s hands drifted down Don’s sides and instead of trembling in fear, Don trembled with desire. He untucked his tail and sought out Raph’s. 

When their tails touched, Raph growled and deepened the kiss while wrapping his tail around Don’s. The sudden added aggression on Raph’s part brought a moment of panic to Don and his heart started hammering in his chest. 

Raph reached down and grabbed hold of Donny’s backside, causing him to break the kiss with a gasp. Donny refused to pull away, despite his trepidations, choosing instead to rock his hips. 

This only spurred Raph on more and Donny soon felt the tip of Raph’s penis peeking from his tail. Keeping his face close to Raph’s, Donny lined his cloaca up with Raph’s tip and nodded his head. He felt Raph enter his tail and ground his hips to help guide Raph deeper inside. 

They moved together, tenderly kissing each other as they were finally able to become one. It felt so different than when KC was in him that it didn’t trigger any memories and he found himself wanting more. 

Raph’s hands came up and cupped Donny’s face while pressing their foreheads together. They would occasionally catch each other’s lips but their need to breath kept them from staying together long. 

Donny hummed in response to the steady striking of his prostate and dug his fingers into the pillow, next to Raph’s head. 

“You okay?” Raph asked and Donny nodded vigorously. 

“This is good,” Donny breathed then churred. “So very good.” He climaxed, rocking his hips back onto Raph while moaning. 

When his orgasm was finished, Raph began to quicken his thrust up while Donny basked in his afterglow. “Ah, fuck,” Raph grunted and his thrusts staggered. Donny could feel Raph’s cock harden further and throb seconds before he was filled with Raph’s hot seed. 

Raph’s hands moved back down to knead Donny’s butt as he slowed down his strokes to get as much out of his after orgasm as he could. With a heavy sigh Raph relaxed, dropping his arms to his side. “That’s worth living for.” His arms felt like lead but Raph brought them up to wrap around Donny. “You still doin’ okay?” 

“Yeah,” Donny smiled. “I am.”

 

……

 

Leo watched as Chris played with is new toys. Christmas morning was more fun when there was a child involved. When Mikey first insisted on keeping Chris, Leo was unsure if it was a good idea but in time he found himself falling in love with his adopted son. He wasn’t sure if it was the joy Chris brought him or seeing the joy he brought to Michelangelo that did it but now he couldn’t imagine a life without him. 

They all knew that one day Chris would ask questions, he was already asking why none of them looked like him, but they had all decided to wait to tell him the truth until he was old enough to handle it.   
As Chris grew, the blue covered less space and eventually just covered the lower parts of his arms and legs. He also had a few learning disabilities that Donny was able to help him overcome so he was at the level of an average human five year old. 

Even though Leo and Mikey were his parents, Chris looked up to Donny and even took up the bo staff as his weapon of choice. Donny enjoyed his time with Chris as they went through weapons training and school. Chris called Donny, ‘Master Donatello’ and he was the only one besides Splinter who Chris referred to as ‘Master’. 

Over the years Mikey had come to terms with being female and everyone had started addressing her as a female as well. Mikey walked up to Chris and wiped the black tears and white drool from his face. The look on Mikey’s face was one of pure love. The roll of ‘mommy’ suited her well. 

“Mom,” Chris groaned, pushing Mikey away. “I’m not a baby, I can do it myself.”

Chris wiped his face then handed the cloth back to Mikey. When Mikey turned to place the cloth in the pile of used ones, Chris stood up and headed for the wall. “Look what I can do.” Chris ran up to the wall and started to climb up. 

Mikey gasped in panic. “Get down.”

But Chris was fast and was up the wall in seconds. “I can go up high, mommy.”

“That’s not safe. How can you do that?” Mikey looked over her shoulder at Leo. “How can he do that?”

Leo shrugged and walked over to stand next to Mikey. Looking up at Chris, he yelled, “It is impressive that you can do that but get back down here now.”

“I wanna see how high I can go,” Chris called back as he climbed. He looked down over his shoulder and his little body started to tremble. “Mommy,” he cried out. “I’m scared.”

“Just climb back down, sweetie,” Mikey called up to him. “I can’t climb the walls.”

“But daddy says that I have you climbing the walls all the time,” Chris yelled back. 

“That’s a figure of speech,” Leo sputtered. “I didn’t know that you took it literally or that you could actually do it.” Leo looked at Mikey when his mate grabbed his arm and saw the pleading look in her eyes. “I’ll go get a ladder, you stay here.”

Leo headed to Donny’s lab at a trot but stopped when he heard Mikey yell, “Chris!”

He turned around in time to see Chris falling. For a moment, Leo’s heart seemed to stop and Chris’ high pitch scream echoed in his ears. Mikey was under him with her arms reached out, ready to catch him. She clutched Chris when he fell into her arms and then fell back to absorb most of the force of the fall. 

“Donny!” Leo cried out as he rushed back over to them. 

Chris was crying uncontrollably in his mother’s arms and Mikey rocked back and forth, trying to sooth him. Leo knelt down next to them to check Chris for injury. “Are you alright?” he asked Mikey as he ran his hands over Chris. 

“I swear, I’ve never been so scared in my life, Leo,” Mikey said, her body trembling from the adrenalin rush. 

“What happened?” Donny ran down stairs with Raph close behind. 

“Chris can climb walls,” Leo answered without looking up. “He got too high then fell but Mikey caught him.”

“Let me see him,” Donny reached out his hands. 

Leo lifted Chris from Mikey and passed him over to Donny then turned to help Mikey stand. “Is he okay?” Mikey asked, moving to Donny’s side as soon as she was on her feet. “I did my best to cushion the fall.”

Raph walked up to Leo and leaned in to whisper, “Bloo could climb walls.”

Chris’ face was covered in his back tears and mixed with the white drool from his mouth. His sharp teeth flashing each time he opened his mouth to cry. “He’s just scared,” Donny said after checking him over. “But otherwise okay.”

Mikey heaved a sigh of relief then held out her arms to take Chris back. Donny handed him back to Mikey and Leo grabbed one of the always ready cloths to clean Chris’ face. 

Once he was calm, Leo relieved Mikey of Chris so she could finish with Christmas dinner. Leo sat with Chris in his lap and continued to wipe the tears as they fell. “You’re going to need to build up your strength and get over your fear of heights before you do that again.”

Chris looked up at Leo, “You’re not mad at me?”

“No,” Leo soothed. “I think you learned your lesson.”

Chris nodded. 

“If you would like, we can add climbing on the wall to your training,” Leo offered. “But you will have to listen to me, alright?”

Chris nodded again. 

“Good,” Leo pulled him in for a tight hug. “Go wash your face. Dinner should be ready soon and you don’t want to look a mess when April and Casey come over.”

“Okay,” Chris hopped down off of Leo’s lap then wrapped his arms around Leo’s neck for a tight hug. “I love you, daddy.”

“I love you too,” Leo kissed the top of Chris’ head. He watched as Chris ran off to the bathroom and smiled to himself. He understood what Splinter must have gone through when he decided to take Leo and his brothers in. He had to have been unsure about it at first and then to have the uncertainty fade away as unconditional love took its place. 

…..

Donny walked through the lair, stopped in the middle of the room and placed his hand on his hips. “Chris? Where are you?”

“Up here,” Chris answered. 

Donny looked up to find Chris in the rafters. “Get down here before you fall, please,” Donny sighed. 

“Okay,” Chris mumbled. “But my feet and hands stick so I ain’t gonna fall.”

Donny could tell by the tone in Chris’ voice and the way he moved that the teen was sad about something. When Chris got to the ground and made his way to Donny there was no doubt in Don’s mind that there was something wrong. 

“What is it?” Donny placed his finger under Chris’ chin and lifted his head. “Aren’t you excited about going to watch us fight in the Nexus for the first time?”

“I was,” Chris said, keeping his tear filled eyes off to the side. 

Donny’s breath hitched as the realization struck him. “They told you already. We were all supposed to tell you together. What did they tell you?”

“Mom and dad aren’t my real parents,” Chris choked out. “My real parents were bad people and hurt you. They told me that uncle Raph killed them because of what they did to you but they didn’t tell me how they hurt you.” He looked up into Donny’s eyes. “Do you hate me?”

Donny’s heart melted and he pulled Chris in close. “Have I ever given you reason to believe that I didn’t love you?”

“When you have bad days, it’s from what they did isn’t it?” Chris sobbed. 

“It’s not your fault,” Donny soothed. “You have been a blessing to us and you filled a need in your mother’s life. You are something she wanted but was unable to have on her own.”

“She’s not my mother,” Chris cried. “My mother was a monster.”

Donny sighed, “You are wrong. Mikey and Leo are your parents in every way that matters, they love you. Just like Master Splinter is my father. They might not have given you life but they made you the center of theirs. It would kill them to hear you say that they are not your parents.”

“I always wondered why I was so different,” Chris said, holding tight to Donny. “None of you cry black tears or can climb walls. I’m such a freak.”

“Stop it,” Donny pulled Chris back so that he could look into his eyes. Black tears streaked down his young face and Donny wiped them away. “You are unique and your extra talents will make you a formidable fighter one day. In the Nexus we will protect you,” Donny smiled. “But if you don’t think you are ready, then you can stay here with Master Splinter and come with us in three years.”

“I wanna go,” the young teen whimpered. 

“Alright, you can go with us. Everything has been arranged,” Donny said. “You’re gonna stay with the Daimyo while we fight. No one in the Daimyo’s estate will give you a hard time. We just wanted you to know about your birth parents just in case there is a problem with the people there to watch the tournament. Some might try to project their hate for KC and Bloo on to you.”

Chris stood up straighter and set his chin. “They don’t matter. They can hate me all they want for what my parents did, as long as you don’t.”

“I never have,” Donny smiled. They hugged each other again then Donny kissed the top of Chris’ head. “Go get you stuff ready for the trip.”

“Yes Master,” Chris nodded before heading off to his room. He stopped when he got to the stairs and turned to look at Donny. “I’m glad that you guys took me in. I couldn’t have asked for a better life.”

“I love you too,” Donny smiled.


End file.
